Minister: Covid Caused ‘Severe Economic Shock’
Imports decreased by 27.5% over the first two quarters of the year, total visitor arrivals were down by 91% versus a year ago, and employment income for the first 9 months of 2020 fell by $194.2 million.
This was from Minister of Finance Curtis Dickinson, who said that the “economic data clearly illustrates the severe economic shock that Covid-19 has had on the Bermuda economy and the economic performance for the first 6 months of calendar 2020 was as expected. Based on preliminary estimates it is estimated that GDP contracted by about 9%-11% during this period.”
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Minister Curtis Dickinson said, “The economic impact of the pandemic public-health measures required to suppress Covid-19 caused severe reductions in the Bermuda economy during the first half of 2020 and beyond.
“However with the reopening of the economy and the borders, the Ministry expects economic activity to increase during the second half of 2020. With the resumption of greater levels of commerce, there is now increased focus on sustaining the economy and building on the ongoing work to stimulate the economy.
“As previously advised, considering the impact that Covid-19 was having on all sectors in the Bermuda economy and the projected level of unemployment, the Ministry of Finance, working with the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre [CARTAC] and another consultant firm revised our original GDP growth forecast for 2020 from 1.0% to 2.0% per cent to -7.5% to -12.5%.
“This was a preliminary projection, based on reasonable assumptions and was primarily dependent on how long, the intensive, but very necessary, suppression measures remained in force.
“Summary Economic Indicators for 2020 are as follows:
- The year to date [July] average inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index [CPI] was 0.2% and the 12 month average rate was 0.5%. This compares to an average CPI of 1.0% for both the year to date and the 12 month periods for July 2019.
- Imports decreased by 27.5% over the first two quarters of the year to register at $437 million.
- Air arrivals during the first two quarters of 2020 fell by 81% while the number of cruise passengers fell by 96% over the same time period. Total visitor arrivals were down by 91% versus a year ago.
- Total air visitor spending in the first six months fell by $152.8 million or 82% settling at $32.7 million.
- The estimated value of construction work put in place was $58.0 million, a reduction of 57.5%.
- Based on preliminary estimates from the Office of the Tax Commissioner, employment income for the first 9 months of 2020 fell by $194.2 million to $2.528 billion, a decrease of 7.1% when compared to the first 9 months of 2019.
- Total retail sales for the first seven months of 2020 decreased by 6.4% or $45.3 million to register at $657.9 million.
- 503 new international companies and partnerships were registered in Bermuda during the first nine months of 2020 representing a 5.7% increase when compared to the 2019 registrations of 476.
- Bermuda’s Balance of Payments over the first two quarters of 2020 recorded a surplus on the current account of $453 million, which was $100 million greater than the corresponding surplus in 2019. The increase in the current account surplus was due in large part to a $167 million reduction in the deficit of the goods account.
“The above mentioned economic data clearly illustrates the severe economic shock that Covid-19 has had on the Bermuda economy and the economic performance for the first 6 months of calendar 2020 was as expected. Based on preliminary estimates it is estimated that GDP contracted by about 9%-11% during this period.
42-minute video of the full press conference held on Monday
“However, as previously advised the Government’s Covid-19 Fiscal Plan has provided timely and targeted fiscal stimulus to various components of our economy, as needed. The government has taken urgent, and appropriate, action to reduce hardship and prevent business failures. Without these stimulus measures the overall economic contractions in 2020 would be a lot worse.
“We are still facing much uncertainty, and in particular, there is the risk that the economic impact of the pandemic may be even more severe and longer lasting than currently anticipated.
“With contraction in many of the key economic data such as visitor arrivals and spending, imports, construction activity, consumer spending and employment income expected to continue, but at a lesser level of contraction than in the first 6 months of this calendar year, the Ministry of Finance expects GDP in 2020 to be in the range of negative 7% – 9%.
“Throughout the economic disruption caused by Covid-19, the Government has and will continue to make a concerted effort to stimulate domestic spending and maintain employment levels in Bermuda through the implementation of timely and targeted measures, with some of these measures being recently announced in our Speech from the Throne.”
As the island and world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are doing our best to provide timely and accurate information, and you can find more information on the links below.
- All: Our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- Official: The Bermuda Government website here
- World Stats: Live graph of all cases worldwide here
- Bermuda Stats: Chart of the Bermuda stats here
- Timeline: Visual look at the timeline here
- Comprehensive: Our BermudaCovid.com website here
“Throughout the economic disruption caused by Covid-19, the Government has and will continue to make a concerted effort to stimulate domestic spending and maintain employment levels in Bermuda through the implementation of timely and targeted measures, with some of these measures being recently announced in our Speech from the Throne.”
In other words, the PLP Government will continue to spend money for current gratification without regard to future consequences
Really and you are still giving spending large and giving money away without reimbursement arrangements, are you still going to build the Ottie Simmons building. Sit your carcasses down and get back the stolen money and all other monies and use those and what you have in hand to future use. Have you listened to Dr. Faux, you best check him out and ask the Lord for wisdom to enable you to lead Bermuda as you should.
Of course, while severe, the pandemic has given the PLP their very own “get out of jail free” card. The economy was boned and in serious decline before COVID, and the Premier was floundering to get something tangible working.
Exactly. I have said the same thing numerous times. Covid-19 is a welcome event for the PLP as it conveniently masks their economic failures and allows them to blame it on the pandemic.
One only has to read the GDP results from Q3 and Q4 2019 in which our GDP contracted and registered anemic growth respectively. This was prior to Covid-19 and when our trading partners were booming. Scary times ahead.
Oh , this isn’t the first time they got lucky . The ‘global recession’ of 2008 was their first ‘get out of jail free’ card . They borrowed and spent us into an unrecoverable position but the hard core are unable to distinguish the differences. They’ll never get it because they don’t want to.
Oh yes. The infamous ‘worldwide recession’ that lasted less than 15 months everywhere else, and over 7 years in Bermuda.
You need to stop worrying about the 30 PLP/BIU and go figure out why so many voters stop voting for your defeated 6 OBA/UBP.
Why so many surrogates leave over the years?
bwahaha
What we need to worry about is why our economy immediately started tanking right after the 2017 election and what we can do to rectify it.
But keep worriyng about your silly OBA/UBP surrogate theories .. lol
Go read George Carlin. Or even Churchill had observations on this matter.
THe fact remains however, that the PLP are the status quo, are responsible for the mess we are in. you can piss and moan about the OBA all you want, but this is the end result of 20 years of utter utter incompetence and failure. You own it.
This governments inability to get tests, monitoring programs in place early caused leakage and the govt to trigger shelter in place and phased openings (remember the claims of aggressive testing, hilarious, was no such thing). The government were reactive and not proactive in protecting us.
The 9 deaths were 9 deaths too many.
Let’s put Bermuda’s COVID-19 status in context.
Only 0.41% of Bermuda’s population has been infected since March. That compares with 2.41% of the population in the UK, 4.22% of the Population in the US and 1.03% of the population in Canada.
Only 0.01% of Bermuda’s population has died of COVID-19 related causes since March. That compares with 0.09% of the population in the UK, 0.08% of the Population in the US and 0.03% of the population in Canada.
All in all, I would say Bermuda is faring well.
We were in the toilet well BEFORE Covid.
You can now add government to the list of big businesses that are making money off the covid-19 pandemic. While the small business is closing or near closing and people are struggling to make money, this government are seizing the opportunity to make money under in name of health and security.
Bet the PLP party wish they had been nicer to expats and exempt companies now!