Kingston, Jamaica, January 19, 2017 – Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, says Jamaica can have a productive relationship with the incoming United States (US) Administration. President-elect of the US, Mr. Donald Trump, will be sworn in tomorrow (January 20).
Mr. Shaw said given Mr. Trump’s background as a businessman, Jamaica was likely to enjoy a similar relationship with the US to the one that was established in the 1980s under the administrations of former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga and former US President, the late Ronald Reagan, through the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). “I am optimistic that we can have a similar productive relationship with the new President. He is a businessman, and he knows the value of partnerships and good economic relationships,” the Minister said.
He was responding to questions at the Mayberry Investor Forum, held on January 18, at the Knutford Court Hotel, in New Kingston. Mr. Shaw said the CBI provided a “good period for us” as, in 1987, the economy recorded growth of 8.2 per cent “partly because of the CBI”.
Meanwhile, the Minister told the forum that the economy was performing in line with the macroeconomic programme, and that the outlook “remains very promising” as, over the medium term, growth will continue to improve and strengthen at 2.5 to 3.5 per cent. He said areas with high growth projections, include mining, energy, ports, tourism, construction, communications, the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, manufacturing, agriculture and agro-industry.
