by Dashan Hendricks (Jamaica Observer) Prime Minister Andrew Holness has told the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that he intends to tap their support in helping to reduce poverty in Jamaica, as the next step in leveraging stability in the country to benefit more Jamaicans.
Holness was speaking after meeting with the presidents of the World Bank and the IDB Wednesday. The heads of both multilateral financiers were in Jamaica earlier this week on a joint visit.
“Having achieved stability and having now using that to move towards leveraging private sector investment in the country, we don’t take it for granted that this will automatically result in a reduction in poverty,” Holness said at a press briefing. “Government has to be very deliberate and instrumental in structuring programmes that will lift people out of poverty and, and the World Bank and the IDB, you have incredible experience, knowledge, know-how, and, of course, the resources financially to assist us in programmes that will deal with poverty,” he continued.
Jamaica’s poverty rate is estimated to have declined to 12.6 percent in 2022, from an estimated 23 percent in 2020.
