Overview

The World Bank has a long-standing relationship with Jamaica and has been providing financing, knowledge and advisory support in key areas. The current World Bank Group Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for 2014-2019 is aligned to Jamaica’s Vision 2030 and focuses on:

• Public sector modernization to enhance the government’s capacity and effectiveness.

• Private sector-led growth through improved business climate and fostering investments in high-potential sectors.

• Social and climate resilience by strengthening the government’s social protection programs and supporting the development of a comprehensive framework for disaster and climate risk management. 

IFC works across a broad range of sectors in Jamaica, including financial markets, infrastructure, information and communication technology, and manufacturing and services. IFC’s committed portfolio as of July 2018 stands at US$107 million, comprising US$95 million for IFC’s own account and US$12 million mobilized from partnering institutions.

In the last five years, IFC has committed US$20 million (US$10 million for its own account) in a renewable energy generation project that will contribute to the diversification of the Jamaican electricity generation sector away from fuel oils and support climate change investments; US$20 million in a telecom project that will allow a Jamaican group to expand regionally and support SME Linkages and inclusive growth across the Company's value chain; and US$81 million under the Global Trade Finance Program which extends and complements the capacity of banks to deliver trade financing by providing risk mitigation in new or challenging markets where trade lines may be constrained.

In addition, the World Bank provides two grants to Jamaica focused on improving climate data and information management and supporting the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2018

Government projects financed by the World Bank Group produced important results in recent years. Some highlights include:

• More than 387,000 Jamaicans benefited the Government’s Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), a conditional cash transfer program which helps improve school attendance and health visits of children in poor households, placing families on a better track toward human capital accumulation

• The Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) is helping improve market access for micro and small-scale rural agricultural producers, and other service providers by supporting revenue generating activities in agriculture and tourism while providing critical infrastructure, marketing and management support. To date, more than 1,400 farmers have benefited from improved technology, training and access to markets.

• An Education ‘Passport’ has been implemented to track the growth and progress of each Jamaican child in his first years of life and setting the standards for quality in ECD institutions through the Early Childhood Development Project.

• The Jamaica Integrated Community Development Project  has helped improve community safety and development in 18 economically and socially vulnerable inner city and rural communities by upgrading urban infrastructure such as solar street lighting, water supply systems , solid waste management, installation of fire hydrants and introducing violence interrupters and school-based violence prevention.  A total of 362 young people has been trained in entrepreneurship, CPPR and first aid, community mediation and restorative justice.

• The Jamaica Energy Security and Efficiency Enhancement Project supported the development of energy regulation and policy for renewable energy and natural gas which contributed to an increase in renewable energy investments and doubled renewable generation from 9 percent at the start of the project to percent at the end of 2017. Jamaica’s dependence on imported oil was reduced by 72 percent from 95 percent at the start of the project.

• As of 2015, with support from the  Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project formal participatory budgeting has become part of the annual budgeting process in Jamaica and public investment management system was strengthened. A Public Investment Management System was put in place to help policy makers to provide better governance of public investments in Jamaica.

• The  Youth Employment in Digital and Animation Industries Project builds on successful pilots in Digital Jam and KingstOOn with more than 4,000 young Jamaicans engaged in digital enterprises.

• IFC supported the BMR Jamaica Wind Project, a 36-megawatt wind farm, which is Jamaica’s largest private-sector renewable energy project. It is expected to reduce greenhouse gases by about 66,000 tons CO2 equivalent per year, roughly equivalent to taking 13,000 cars off the road.

• IFC worked with Sagicor Bank Jamaica Limited to help establish SME best practices and in so better reach a sector that is currently underserved by the banking sector. 

• IFC is providing advisory services to the Government of Jamaica to help improve the regulatory, institutional and administrative framework for business taxation.

• IFC is working with Jamaica coffee producers to help increase the quality and quantity of coffee grown by farmers and processed by firms through a combination of activities focused on improving genetics, sharing best practices in agronomy, and creating inclusive business models.

• IFC Advisory services are helping local sauces and spices producers to strengthen the value chain of small and medium enterprises in the sector by improving market linkages, using market feedback to address supply-side coordination failures, and improving food safety standards of firms.

• IFC Advisory services worked with the Government of Jamaica to structure and implement a PPP concession for Norman Manley International Airport that will: improve access and quality of services for passengers; expand infrastructure capacity; increase operational efficiencies; and generate private investment.  Recently the Government announced a preferred bidder for this concession.

IFC is also working on four Advisory Cooperation Agreements in Jamaica:

• Secured Interest in Personal Property Act (SIPPA) – with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) to support implementation of the Financial Inclusion Strategy through improvements in the SIPPA, adjustments of the prudential lending framework, and adjustments to the National Personal Property Registry (NPPR).

• GK Insurance –with GK Insurance Company Limited to increase access to finance/credit penetration in rural areas of Jamaica with a specific focus on the agricultural sector by development of a coffee livelihood product. 

• The Jamaica Trade Information Portal - with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) - will make it easier for traders and investors to comply with regulatory requirements associated with the import and export of goods. The portal will make all cross-border trade regulatory information available by a simple click, including laws, administrative procedures, guidance notes, forms, licenses, permits, and applicable fees.

• IFC recently signed an Advisory Services Agreement with Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) in March 2018 to support reforms that will improve the investment climate in Jamaica, as measured by doing business indicators.

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2018