Over 300 Officials Expected for IMF Caribbean Forum

More than 300 officials are expected in the island for the sixth International Monetary Fund (IMF) High Level Caribbean Forum slated for Thursday, November 16 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
Among these are current and former regional heads of government, finance ministers, central bank governors and private-sector representatives, as well as senior staff of the IMF and other international organisations.
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, and IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, are the keynote speakers for the opening ceremony.
The conference is being held under the theme ‘Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean’ and will focus on issues impacting the region and the potential opportunities within the context of an ever-changing global landscape.
Four discussions have been scheduled featuring presentations by a wide cross section of local, regional and international stakeholders.
The first will focus on ‘The Caribbean Growth Challenge: Crime and Youth Unemployment’.
The others will cover ‘Fiscal Policy and Political Cycles’, ‘The Financial Sector: Stability and Growth Trade-offs’, and ‘Challenges and Opportunities in the Caribbean’.
The latter will feature presentations by Mr. Holness and the Prime Ministers of St. Lucia, Hon. Allen Chastanet; Grenada, Hon. Dr. Keith Mitchell; and Trinidad and Tobago, Hon. Dr. Keith Rowley.
Jamaica previously hosted the IMF Forum in 2014 in Montego Bay.