BOJ Launches 65th Anniversary Celebrations This Sunday

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) will launch its 65th anniversary celebrations this Sunday (May 31) with a vibrant programme of activities highlighting staff recognition, community outreach, and youth empowerment initiatives across the island.

Head of Communications, Sheena Woodburn Francis, outlined the planned activities during the Central Bank’s Quarterly Monetary Policy Press Conference at the Garden Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, on Tuesday (May 26).

“We have taken a smart integration approach to the celebrations. What that means is we are weaving the celebrations into already existing activations. We will be starting this Sunday with our ecumenical service, and that paves the way for the week of recognition for our employees,” she disclosed.

Mrs. Woodburn Francis noted that the celebratory activities will also engage Jamaican youth at the high-school level.

“We have partnered with Project STAR (Social Transformation and Renewal) under the Propel initiative, and that will see us reaching youth and facilitating, as part of our financial literacy programme, the development and empowerment of our youth,” she stated.

Mrs. Woodburn Francis added that the anniversary celebrations will feature a competition for high-school students across the island.

“So, we will see user-generated content. We’ll be reaching out to teenagers across high schools of all 14 parishes, and they will share a little bit about what they know about the role and function of the Central Bank. Both the students and the institutions will benefit,” the Communications Head outlined.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Woodburn Francis announced that the BOJ will launch a graduate internship programme for university students as part of its 65th anniversary commemoration.

“So, we are allowing meaningful opportunities for our just-concluded university students… opportunities to be exposed to the Central Bank. The areas that we are focusing on [include] cybersecurity and economics, to name a few,” she stated.

Mrs. Woodburn Francis noted that additional details on various aspects of the anniversary celebrations will be shared with the public soon.

“In a nutshell… we’re looking at our staff, we’re looking at communities and every Jamaican we serve,” she stated.

The BOJ’s 65th anniversary is being commemorated under the theme ‘Honouring Our Past. Safeguarding Our Future’.