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Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, signed a US$200 million loan agreement with the World Bank, in Washington, D.C. Thursday (February 25). "This loan will support the Government's comprehensive reform programme, to address fiscal and debt sustainability," Mr. Shaw explained, at the signing ceremony,at the World Bank's headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. The initiative is a...

Technical Advisor to the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Wayne Henry, has said that the Government's decision to borrow from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was the safest and most viable option for the country. Addressing a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston held yesterday (February 24) at the Hilton Kingston, Mr. Henry pointed out...

The Government's stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not only released critical funds, but has also resulted in opportunities for Jamaica to receive financial aid from other multi-lateral institutions. "The European Commission, the World Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank.all of them combined, the windows were closed for us, but once the IMF agreement was opened, the flows...

A sum of Euro17 million (J$2.2 billion) is to be injected into the Consolidated Fund early in the new fiscal year, to provide budgetary support, as a result of the fall-out in the bauxite/alumina sector, that has severely impacted the economy. The funds fall under the 2009 Fluctuation in Export (FLEX) Earnings agreement between the Government and the European Commission,...

The Financial Sector Support Fund (FSSF), the contingency facility created to assist financial institutions that may become stressed in the wake of the Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX), is currently at US$950 million (J$85 billion). Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ),Brian Wynter, in an interview with JIS News following his recent quarterly press briefing, stated that although there were no...

The Debt Management Unit of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has confirmed that as at Friday, February 19, the Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX) transaction has garnered 99 per cent participation by bond holders. In an interview with JIS News, today (February 22), Senior Director of the Debt Management Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Pamela McLaren...

The Government of Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have signed a contract for three policy-based loans totalling $15.2 billion (US$170 million). Minister of Finance and Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw signed on behalf of the government, while IDB Country Representative, Mr. Gerard Johnson affixed his signature on behalf of his organisation, at the signing ceremony held on Thursday...

Jamaica's representative at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mr. Gerard Johnson, has said the Government is worthy of congratulations, for its success in the recent debt exchange programme. "Your debt exchange is not just unprecedented in its success in Jamaica, but in the world. I understand that this is the most successful voluntary debt swap ever. I think you're over...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has announced the lifting of a moratorium on the registration of new Unit Trusts and new Unit Trust products. Speaking at a press conference, today (February 18), at the offices of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), in Kingston, Mr. Shaw informed that in the 1990s, a moratorium was placed on...

With the local economy still buckling under the effects of the global recession, many Jamaicans are still finding it difficult to meet their financial needs in these tough times. Financial adviser and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services, Cherryl Hanson Simpson, says there are only two things to do when there is not enough money to meet one's needs, "cut back...

Fitch Ratings, on Tuesday February 16, upgraded Jamaica's long-term local and foreign currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to B-. The rating outlook was also upgraded from "Negative" to "Stable". This follows the downgrade in January, when the long-term local currency IDR was downgraded to "C" and the long-term foreign currency IDR was affirmed at "CCC." The revision in the ratings...

The Government has announced that it has amended the Final Settlement Date for the Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX) Offer to Wednesday (February 24), to complete processing of Old Note interest payments and finalise processes for issuing New Notes through the Bank of Jamaica. A release from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service on Monday (February 15) stated: The...