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NEW YORK, USA — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that while it does not comment on political matters, it is monitoring the situation in Jamaica as it relates to the impending leadership change.
Responding to questions from the Observer about the impact the decision by Prime Minister Bruce Golding to step down next month could have a the direction of the economy, especially its current Stand-by Agreement with Jamaica — the lending agency said it continues to work with the current administration.
Some members of the Jamaican Diaspora here have been expressing concerns that the sudden announcement by Prime Minister Golding could have serious effects on the economic programme as efforts to pick his successor could create a distraction for the Government.
In a national broadcast Sunday night, the prime minister sought to assure the country that the economic programme would not be affected by his departure.
"I have been in contact with our international partners and have assured them that the direction of the Government is firmly in place," Golding said.
He also assured that "the financial markets remain sober, as they await the appointment of a new prime minister, and confirmation that we will not deviate from the economic reforms".
On Monday, Patrick Beckford, head of the Diaspora Advisory Board for the north-east United States, said while he remained concerned about possible economic fallout, he was "encouraged by the assurances of the prime minister".
Meantime, the IMF gave no response to questions from the Observer about the current status of the US$1.27-billion agreement, which has been stalled for several months as the country tries to meet the performance criteria for the quarterly tests.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1Zu7oMefu
Responding to questions from the Observer about the impact the decision by Prime Minister Bruce Golding to step down next month could have a the direction of the economy, especially its current Stand-by Agreement with Jamaica — the lending agency said it continues to work with the current administration.
Some members of the Jamaican Diaspora here have been expressing concerns that the sudden announcement by Prime Minister Golding could have serious effects on the economic programme as efforts to pick his successor could create a distraction for the Government.
In a national broadcast Sunday night, the prime minister sought to assure the country that the economic programme would not be affected by his departure.
"I have been in contact with our international partners and have assured them that the direction of the Government is firmly in place," Golding said.
He also assured that "the financial markets remain sober, as they await the appointment of a new prime minister, and confirmation that we will not deviate from the economic reforms".
On Monday, Patrick Beckford, head of the Diaspora Advisory Board for the north-east United States, said while he remained concerned about possible economic fallout, he was "encouraged by the assurances of the prime minister".
Meantime, the IMF gave no response to questions from the Observer about the current status of the US$1.27-billion agreement, which has been stalled for several months as the country tries to meet the performance criteria for the quarterly tests.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1Zu7oMefu