Thu | Oct 16, 2025

Finance minister in Washington for IMF, World Bank annual meetings

Published:Wednesday | October 15, 2025 | 7:19 PM
Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Major General (ret’d) Antony Anderson right engages Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams in discussion during  a courtesy call on ambassador Anderson on Monday.
Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Major General (ret’d) Antony Anderson right engages Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams in discussion during a courtesy call on ambassador Anderson on Monday.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams is in Washington, attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The meetings, which began Monday, are scheduled to end on Saturday, October 18.

Williams said her focus during the week will be on continued engagement with international financial institutions, including the IMF and the World Bank, which have supported Jamaica’s economic progress.

“Jamaica has a lot of ongoing projects with the World Bank and IMF which she will be discussing, as well as exploring new initiatives and opportunities that would redound to the benefit of Jamaica,” she said.

Williams is supported by a high-level delegation that includes Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison; Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor Richard Byles; BOJ Senior Deputy Governor Wayne Robinson; Deputy Finance Secretary Dian Black; and Dr Wayne Henry, Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica.

On the margins of the IMF and World Bank meetings, Williams will hold discussions with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which the government has joined. Afreximbank has allocated development funds for CARICOM member states.

Jamaica’s accession unlocked US$1.5 billion in financing support, bringing Afreximbank’s total commitment to the Caribbean to US$3 billion.

The finance minister will also meet with Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn, IMF Alternate Executive Director Gina Fitzgerald, and World Bank Regional Vice President Susana Cordeiro-Guerra.

During a courtesy call on Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson, Williams was briefed on several potential investment opportunities being pursued to support the government’s growth agenda.

These opportunities span the energy, medical, medical tourism and telecommunications sectors, and include initiatives to encourage greater diaspora investment in Jamaica.

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