Above: the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank have begun talks on their potential commitments for Jamaica’s IMF programme, Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips announced Tuesday.

Following the outcome of the talks in Washington, Jamaica’s IMF programme could be submitted to the IMF’s Executive Board for approval, he said.

That could happen by the end of the month, Phillips said.

“We expect that the soonest possible date will be forthcoming and indeed, it remains possible before the end of March,” he stated.

The talks are important, he said, because all three multilateral organizations are “required to make a substantial commitment in support of the programme in addition to other institutions.”

Jamaica and the IMF reached a preliminary agreement last month.