“It (the current IMF agreement) will not facilitate growth. We, therefore, have to identify ways to use infrastructure as a development catalyst,” said Davies, who was updating Jamaicans and business interests in New York on national development initiatives, including investment opportunities.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130909/news/news1.html
Now Dr Davis is not a man who you can dismiss that easily, he may not be Minister of Finance but he is a powerful member of the PNP, so whatever he says will carry a lot of weight. Now Dr Davis is a man who could not recognize growth even if he sees it given the fact, that it was under his leadership, that Jamaica financial sector collapsed putting thousands of Jamaicans out of job and setting back Jamaica for decades. Anyway let’s assume that having now seen the folly of his tenure when the world was growing by leaps and bounds and he is now looking from the outside in, he may actually be correct and let’s assume he is.
What does of current Finance Minister had to say about our growth prospects.
November 12, 2012(Before the deal)
FINANCE and Planning Minister Dr Peter Phillips is expressing confidence that Jamaica’s discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will conclude with the signing of a new agreement that will facilitate growth and development.
Phillips told the Rotary Club of Kingston’s weekly luncheon at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston yesterday that “significant progress” has been made in the discussions, and pointed out that the technical work involved has advanced to the point where “our medium-term economic programme has been accepted as the basis for negotiations”
April 9, 2013 (After the deal)
Dr. Peter Phillips, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, has acknowledged that the economy will have to start growing if the country is to see long-term benefits from the upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement.
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/economy-must-grow-to-see-long-term-benefits-from-imf-phillips
Now where is the growth going to come from.
Ah the Energy Sector ….
Ah the IT sector, we can get 10,000 jobs there….
No, let’s say Jeep that will be many many jobs…. hmm
Ah, its Jamaica employee, that will give us 40,000 jobs
Damn, Oh yes MDIP…. that will give us a lot of jobs
Christ the logistics hub, that will be our saving grace, that will generate many many jobs, like water over Hellshire.
The PNP will always select that one item, talk it up to stratospheric levels , tell Jamaicans this is the holy grail, this will save Jamaica, only for us to see nothing from it in the long run.
Highway 2000 was to have been our economic saviour, where is it…..
I must give the PNP credit however, they have been able to samfie us real good for over 20+ years.
Filed under: Economics, Public Information |
Based on the context of his statement I believe that ‘facilitate’ wasn’t the right word for him to use to bring across his point. I’d say that the current IMF agreement isn’t conducive for growth, at least not in the short to medium term.