Shaw says IMF coming next week

Minister of Finance Audley Shaw says a team from the International Monetary Fund, (IMF) will visit the island next week to continue discussions with the government.



The government has been holding talks with officials from the Fund for months now in a bid to secure a US$1.2 billion standby loan arrangement.



The IMF officials were scheduled to visit last month but that meeting was postponed.



While not indicating when the agreement will be finalized Mr. Shaw says the government is in the final stages of discussions.



He had said before that the country’s submission to the IMF could be finalized by next month.



Finance Minister Audley Shaw was speaking at a Scotia DBG seminar in Kingston this morning.



Mr. Shaw says he’s optimistic that an agreement with the IMF will encourage other international agencies to offer funding to support Jamaica’s fiscal policies.