Minister Williams Speaks to Jamaica’s Accomplishments and its Efforts to Achieve Greater Fiscal Resilience

Washington, DC - Jamaica's Finance Minister, Fayval Williams, highlights Jamaica’s continued fiscal discipline and its efforts to continue develop the country’s infrastructure during this week's International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, with roads, water systems and climate resilience initiatives taking center stage in high-level discussions with the multi-lateral partners.

Finance Minister, Hon Fayval Williams (Center) along with members of her delegation at International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, from left to right are Senior deputy Governor of the bank of Jamaica Mr. Wayne Robinson, Governor of the bank of Jamaica Mr. Ricards Byles Financial secretary in the ministry of finance Ms. Darlene Morrison, Deputy Financial secretary in the ministry of finance Ms. Dian Black and Dr. Wayne Henry Director of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, ( Photo by Derrick Scott)"Of course, in speaking with entities like the World Bank and the IADB, it's regarding the programs that are of interest to us in terms of investment programs for roads, water resilience and climate resilience," Minister Williams emphasized as her delegation embarked on a week of meetings. The Minister's focus on infrastructure reflects Jamaica's determination to transform international financial partnerships into concrete improvements for its citizens.

Backed by a formidable team including the Bank of Jamaica's Governor Mr. Richard Byles, Deputy Governor Mr. Wayne Robinson, along with Financial Secretary Ms. Darlene Morrison, Head of Economic Management Ms. Dian Black and Dr. Wayne Henry Director of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Minister Williams is leveraging Jamaica's strong record of fiscal discipline to bolster the nation's position. "We remain committed to our debt-to-GDP targets, our fiscal targets and ensuring fiscal prudence in Jamaica," she affirmed.

This year’s Spring Meetings come amid significant global economic uncertainty, a challenge Minister Williams acknowledges directly. "Jamaica is a very open, very connected nation to the rest of the world, and so we have to be extremely mindful of the impact of what's going on in the rest of the world on us," she noted, underscoring why Jamaica must continue to make its infrastructure investments and the linkage of those investments to the country’s GDP growth.

Beyond the multilateral development banks, the delegation's packed agenda includes meetings with U.S. congressional representatives and fellow Caribbean finance ministers.

As the week of meetings unfold, Minister Williams said that she expects that this week will prove to be very beneficial to us, in terms of the commitments that we will be able to strengthen here.

The IMF/World Bank Spring meetings runs from Monday, April 21 to Saturday 26.