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The Financial Secretary, Dr. Wesley Hughes, has dismissed suggestions that Jamaica's team negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is technically weak. "Together we have over 100 years' combined experience in negotiating with the IMF," the former head of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) said in an exclusive interview with JIS News. "I myself have 20 years of experience...

The Government's Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure, which was tabled in Parliament last week, is credible, technically sound and able to stand the scrutiny of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This is the view of newly appointed Financial Secretary, Dr. Wesley Hughes, who told JIS News that the cuts made, though painful and tough, were necessary if Jamaica is to present...

The overarching goal of the newly appointed Financial Secretary, Dr. Wesley Hughes, is to make the Ministry of Finance the centre of excellence for financial and economic management of the country. In his first extensive interview since becoming Financial Secretary, the former Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, which developed Jamaica's 2030 Vision, told JIS News that "for...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, left the island on Wednesday (Sept. 30) for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank meetings in Istanbul, Turkey from October 4-7. While in Istanbul, the Minister is expected to engage in talks with Executives of the IMF including Deputy Managing Director of the Fund, Takatoshi Kato; officials of the World...

Business Registration Manager at the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), Ms. Camille Neil, is appealing to delinquent charitable groups to file outstanding documents, in order to become fully compliant with the Companies Act. "As at April 2009, a total of 3,395 companies limited by guarantee (charitable groups) were registered and of this total, 79.44 per cent or 2,697 are delinquent;...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, said that the Government had to adjust its fiscal targets and present a revised budget of $561.4 billion, up from $555 billion, due to a number of deviations. These include revenue and grants of $11.6 billion, having fallen short of 9.7 per cent of the original target, and 1.6 per...

The Government will be undertaking significant fiscal policy reform including the implementation of a Fiscal Responsibility Framework (FRF), in order to address low growth and high debt, and to boost revenue collection. "The FRF seeks to introduce the principles of responsible fiscal management and aims to improve fiscal transparency by requiring that firm targets are set and kept," Finance and...

The Government will be placing more focus on growing the economy through production and export, said Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw. This measure is in addition to prudent management of recurrent expenditure through increased efficiency in debt management, such as reducing interest costs. Minister Shaw, who was speaking in the House of Representatives last night...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has officially launched the 'We Need to Know' public education campaign, which encourages compliance among the beneficiaries of the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH). The campaign seeks to ensure that parents or guardians of PATH beneficiaries who have started primary school, junior high, high school, or who have changed schools,...

Police Commissioner, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, has said that efforts are being made to change the face of policing in Jamaica, to one where there is greater respect and partnership between the police and citizens. "Where the police force is concerned we are working very hard to change the whole face of policing. We have not been placed over the...

A gradual recovery of the Jamaican economy is projected to commence in the latter part of financial year 2010/11, as the global recession eases and the conditions in the financial markets improve. "Economic growth is expected to be moderate over the next four years. Headline inflation is programmed to decline gradually over this period, falling below 7.0 per cent per...

The chance to meet Jamaica's outstanding World Championship athletes in person and be entertained by top artistes such as Elephant Man, Tarrus Riley, Konshens, and Etana, are some of the treats that patrons will enjoy at this Sunday's (Oct. 4) Family Fun Day and Concert at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium. Other acts confirmed to perform include Laden, Chino, I-Octane, G-Whizz,...