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Amidst growing signs that General Elections are imminent Finance Minister Audley Shaw has publicly issued a challenge to his Opposition counterpart Dr. Peter Phillips to a national debate on the economy.
He declared the challenge on Sunday evening during a meeting of the Jamaica Labour Party's Area Council Three in Clarendon.
Mr. Shaw's pronouncement followed recent criticisms by the People's National Party of the Government's handling of the country's financial affairs including the Standby Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In defending the Government's management of the economy, the Finance Minister said he was ready to face Dr. Phillips in a debate on which administration has done a better job.
The Jamaica Debates Commission recently wrote the two main political parties to determine if they are interested in participating in debates prior to the General and Local Government elections.
The Commission, which was responsible for staging the 2002 and 2007 National Political Debates, is a partnership between the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and the Media Association Jamaica.
And Prime Minister-designate Andrew Holness says the Government received accolades from officials of multilateral agencies during meetings late last week in Washington D.C.
Between Thursday and Friday, Mr. Holness and outgoing Prime Minister Bruce Golding met with the Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde as well as senior representatives of the IDB and World Bank.
Addressing the Area Council Three meeting, Mr. Holness said the officials gave the thumbs up to the administration's stewardship of the economy.
“They have great respect for our Prime Minister, you know why? Because they see in the Jamaica Labour Party a set of modern thinking individuals who understand the complexity of the international and global market place, who understand what is necessary to move Jamaica into the category of developed country,” Mr. Holness said.
He declared the challenge on Sunday evening during a meeting of the Jamaica Labour Party's Area Council Three in Clarendon.
Mr. Shaw's pronouncement followed recent criticisms by the People's National Party of the Government's handling of the country's financial affairs including the Standby Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In defending the Government's management of the economy, the Finance Minister said he was ready to face Dr. Phillips in a debate on which administration has done a better job.
The Jamaica Debates Commission recently wrote the two main political parties to determine if they are interested in participating in debates prior to the General and Local Government elections.
The Commission, which was responsible for staging the 2002 and 2007 National Political Debates, is a partnership between the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and the Media Association Jamaica.
And Prime Minister-designate Andrew Holness says the Government received accolades from officials of multilateral agencies during meetings late last week in Washington D.C.
Between Thursday and Friday, Mr. Holness and outgoing Prime Minister Bruce Golding met with the Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde as well as senior representatives of the IDB and World Bank.
Addressing the Area Council Three meeting, Mr. Holness said the officials gave the thumbs up to the administration's stewardship of the economy.
“They have great respect for our Prime Minister, you know why? Because they see in the Jamaica Labour Party a set of modern thinking individuals who understand the complexity of the international and global market place, who understand what is necessary to move Jamaica into the category of developed country,” Mr. Holness said.
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