A young professional shared with me a letter she received from the Students Loan Bureau, requesting full payment of her loan balance of over $2 million by a certain date and warning that if this is not forthcoming, her photograph will be published in the press. She explained that most of the positions she had held before getting a full-time job last year were internships offering stipends. She paid a lump sum recently and was saving to pay more when the letter arrived.

I cannot understand why a student who is not trying to hide from the Bureau and who has been communicating her employment challenges would receive such a threat. We hear of fraudulent activities in various Government agencies, of arrests, and very rarely are photographs of the accused published.  Yet these young graduates, at the threshold of their careers are being subject to an action which can cause serious damage to their reputation. We would understand if the SLB were to get tough with borrowers who cannot be reached and make no effort to clear their debt, but to threaten someone who is not hiding and who is doing their best to honour their responsibility is unacceptable.

Digicel Foundation recently treated nearly 250 hearing-impaired students to a viewing of the acclaimed musical, Mary Poppins, at the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Performing Arts in St Andrew.

“The point of it is to bring them together so that they can experience theatre, something outside their normal realm. This showing is our way of bringing them out to experience something new, widening the scope and just allowing them to get involved in the arts,” Digicel Foundation CEO Charmaine Daniels told Loop News during last Sunday’s viewing.

The participating students were from five schools for the deaf across the island – two of the institutions having benefited from the installation of literacy labs (used to improve the students’ ability to communicate with individuals who can hear) courtesy of the Digicel Foundation.

A production of the Jamaica Music Theatre Company, Mary Poppins features two mischievous children being attended to by a supernatural nanny, who eventually transforms their lives and that of their family.

There were continuous cheers throughout by the students in the audience, who were aided by interpreter Antoinette Aiken’s narration of the dialogue.

“We can’t put a dollar value on the experience because it is one that they can never forget,” Daniels said.

“There are very few shows that specifically cater to their needs and so it’s an opportunity that they would normally not have,” the Digicel Foundation CEO continued.

“Part of what the foundation tries to do is raise the awareness and we are hoping that by doing this, there will be other partners that will come on board and try to offer more events and more performances for the special needs community,” she said.

Special needs is one of three core pillars for Digicel Foundation, with the others being community development and education; according to Daniels, special needs ties all three pillars together.

 

See more photos in the slider below.

 

Based on the preliminary performance results to date through end-November 2019, the GOJ is on track to meet the Quantitative Performance Targets for the GOJ ERP for end-December 2019, with the exception of the inflation target.

Selected Quantitative Performance Targets and Policy Actions Status Updates

TARGETS	STATUS	COMMENTS
FISCAL INDICATORS
Tax Revenues		Continues to exceed target
Primary Balance/Surplus		Continues to exceed target
Central Government Spending on Social Programmes		On track
MONETARY INDICATORS
Non-Borrowed Reserves		Continues to exceed target
Inflation		6.2% outside of BOJ’s target range of 4-6%. Temporary jump, projected to fall back within the target range
JAMAICA’S PRIORITY ACTIONS
Priority GOJ Actions (Oct-Dec 2019)		3 Met Target 4 Delayed but in Progress
Economic Reform Programme  (ERP)		GOJ ERP on Track

EPOC’s OUTLOOK

Economic Growth

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) is projecting global growth to rise from an estimated 2.9% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2020 while growth in the Latin American and Caribbean region is expected to rebound to 1.6% in 2020. The Planning Institute of Jamaica projects Jamaica’s real GDP growth for the fiscal year 2019/20 to fall within the range of 0.0%–1.0%.

EPOC concurs with the view of the PIOJ that growth will be low for the remainder of the fiscal year 2019/20. However, EPOC expects that going forward through 2020-2022, as the impact of the fallout from mining is behind us, growth should begin to get back to the 2% growth levels.

Monetary Performance

While point-to-point inflation of 6.2% as at December 2019 was outside of the BOJ target range, it is expected to be temporary and the BOJ will maintain its accommodative monetary stance. The most recent survey of business expectations by BOJ expects inflation for the next 12 months ending November 2020 to be 5.0 percent owing largely to inflationary trends and exchange rate.

Credit Growth

This accommodative stance continues to spur Credit growth from the Deposit taking Institutions as credit to businesses and households increased by 15.5% between September 2018 to September 2019.

 International Reserves

As at December 31, Jamaica’s net international reserves are healthy at US$3.16B, non-borrowed reserves at US$2.821B exceed the target of US$2.343B. Gross international reserves continue to exceed programme targets and exceed the international adequacy benchmark.

Fiscal Performance

The fiscal performance continues to be strong as tax revenues as December 31 came in at J$414.7B continue to outperform budget and the first supplementary budget targets of J$407.1B which led to a second supplementary budget being tabled in parliament for Fiscal year 2019/20.

Foreign Exchange Market

There continues to be market apprehension and a heightened uncertainty around the volatility of the exchange rate, the BOJ continues to consult with the market in an effort to reduce volatility and smooth out demand and supply imbalances. The BOJ recently introduced a FX Swap Arrangement and is encouraging authorized dealers and cambios to further deepen the market through the introduction of forward contracts while looking to implement the electronic trading platform in early 2020 which will provide greater transparency and price discovery for market players.

EPOC acknowledges BOJ’s efforts to deepen the FX market and notes the ongoing consultations with the Jamaica Bankers Association and other key stakeholders in the market.

EPOC is hopeful that as the reforms in the FX market take hold, volatility levels and the swings in the currency could be reduced. However, Jamaica is only a very small player in the global FX market and will always be exposed to and not insulated from volatility and movements in the international FX market.

 EPOC Post IMF

Following the completion of the three-year Precautionary Stand-By Arrangement (PSBA) with the IMF as at November 2019, EPOC continues to serve under a new Memorandum of Understanding. Under this agreement, EPOCs extended period of service will be aligned with the establishment of the Fiscal Council and completion of activities related to the Central Bank achieving Independent status.

GOJ Commitments 2019-2021

EPOC welcomes and lauds the GOJ for the delivery of the GOJ Quantitative Performance Targets and Priority Actions Matrix for 2019/20 and 2020/2021; these were outlined at the completion of the sixth review. These commitments will form the basis for the monitoring of the GOJ Economic Reform Programme (ERP) following the expiry of the SBA (IMF Standby Agreement).

Fiscal Performance

As Jamaica forges ahead without the oversight of the IMF, the country’s fiscal performance continues to be strong with healthy Tax Revenues, growing at higher rates than inflation year over year.  The GOJ Primary and Fiscal balances continue to exceed targets, keeping Jamaica’s debt trajectory on a downward path projected to end the 2019/2020 Fiscal year at 93.5% of GDP.

Bank of Jamaica Gross Reserves and Foreign Exchange Market

Jamaica’s Gross reserves continue to exceed the Reserve adequacy metrics, providing a buffer against external shocks. The FX market experienced excess volatility due to imbalances in demand and supply in October and November 2019, which saw the BOJ executing flash auctions under B-FXITT of US$140m. EPOC is hopeful that the introduction of the FX trading platform and the further development of the FX forward market will bring increased transparency to the market, which could lead to reduced volatility and reduce the need for the sale of US$ through B-FXITT flash auctions as we go forward.

Inflation

Inflation is low and stable albeit below target at 3.3% in October 2019, but core inflation has increased to 2.9% in September and October 2019, which could lead to inflation moving back into the target range of 4-6%.

Growth 

Growth remains fairly low, projected by the PIOJ at 0.3 % for June to September 2019, but positive, in spite of the temporary closure of Alpart and unfavourable weather conditions, which impact agricultural output.

Supply Side Challenges

Jamaica continues to grapple with supply side challenges in crime and access to finance issues for SMEs and agriculture. EPOC notes the efforts around developing a national consensus on crime and the initiatives by the public and private sectors to address the access to finance impediments.

Global Uncertainty but Domestic Confidence remains high

While the global and regional outlook for growth is skewed to the downside, business and consumer confidence remain high in Jamaica along with the accommodative monetary stance maintained by the BoJ, which could see the continued growth in credit to the private sector and strong domestic demand.

Inclusive Growth

While we all would like to see greater inclusive growth, the GOJ and the BOJ by all indications are on a sustainable path which should see Jamaica’s growth levels increasing to GOJ projected 2% growth levels by 2021/2022.

 

There was fun. There were games. There was music, and much more. There were also gifts and delicious treats for the young children of the Little Angels Learning Centre (LALC) run by Mustard Seed Communities Sophie’s Place recently as IGT Jamaica celebrated the Christmas season with children, teachers and staff at the Centre. Besides the usual cakes and ice cream, IGT also donated educational toys for the students.

“We are so thankful for the toys,” said Elsa Simmonds, Principal of the
Little Angels Learning Centre.  “In our last inspection by the Early Childhood Commission we got NI (Needs Improvement) grading, indicating that we did not have adequate toys to stimulate the children’s learning experience. This donation is going to make a great improvement in this regard.  We thank you so much IGT for making what seemed impossible a reality.  We will always remember this event.  The children enjoyed every moment of this wonderful treat.”

Debbie Green, General Manager of IGT Jamaica, said she felt uplifted. “It was a truly heart-warming event,” she said. “We were so happy to visit, to bring the gift of Christmas joy to these Little Angels and importantly, reinforce our commitment of continued partnership. IGT Jamaica feels particularly gratified that we were able to enhance the little ones’ learning through the expansion of our sponsorship by increasing the number of computers donated and creating a computer lab at the Centre. I’m also sure that the educational gifts that we have provided at this Christmas Treat will stimulate an exciting and interactive learning experience for these precious little ones.”

The Mustard Seed Communities, Sophie’s Place, is one of five Mustard Seed Centres adopted by IGT under its flagship After School Advantage programme.  Sophie’s Place operates a home for children with special disabilities and provides early childhood education via The Little Angels Learning Centre (LALC), an initiative of the Mustard Seed Communities.  The Centre is one of IGT’s 15 After School Advantage Centres across Jamaica.

The community-based Little Angels Learning Centre (LALC) provides holistic early childhood education to approximately 60 children aged three to six years from low-income families within the community.

The IGT After School Advantage Programme is the major philanthropic initiative for IGT (formerly GTECH), which has been the lottery technology provider to Supreme Ventures Limited since it began selling online draw games in 2001.

Students at several institutions across the island are making strides in their studies and exploring new horizons thanks to IGT Jamaica’s After School Advantage (ASA) Centres.

A number of these sites, including four Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) sites have benefited from recent improvements. Additionally, members of staff from the Company’s technology department visited another ASA Centre, at SOS Stony Hill Children’s Village, to assess the computers previously donated by IGT Jamaica.  These upgrades provide opportunities for staff to interact with students and share information on a range of technology-related topics.

Mary’s Child, operated by Mustard Seed Communities, has also received additional supplies this year and is moving ahead with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) training in January 2020.

“The ASA Centre is a springboard to greater things for our girls,” says Sheron Williams, Acting Centre Manager of theWCJF in Spanish Town. With a new computer teacher and a new cohort of students this term, she noted that all the younger students passed their grade nine achievement test and have been placed in high and technical high schools, mostly at the grade nine level. The new students also received a special National Heroes assignment. The results were excellent, after the girls researched online. The Centre also acknowledged students with small tokens after they conducted research for a “National Motivation and Affirmation Day” at the ASA Centre.

At the Savanna-la-Mar Women’s Centre, Mellissa Boothe-Anderson reported that “the students have benefited tremendously” from the ASA Centre since the introduction of the Virtual Delivery Interface (VDI) programme for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) students,who are now the primary users of the ASA Centre. The students also rely on the computers for research, resulting in the successful completion of the school-based assessments (SBAs). A printer donated to the lab is used to produce resource materials and SBAs. “The majority of the passes have been 50% and above,” added Boothe-Anderson. “One of our students is currently in her second year of Teachers’ College working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. The computers are also used for the practical area of Computer Studies classes for the lower school.”

At the Women’s Centre in Mandeville, Director Dahlia Johnson was enthusiastic about the impact of the ASA Centre. It is used mainly for research for school assignments, and for IT classes. She also noted that every term, a trainer from the Frederick Douglass Centre visits the ASA Centre to train students in the Microsoft Digital Literacy Program. To date, 27 students have received certification, which will lead to greater employment opportunities.

The young women at Mary’s Child, operated by the Mustard Seed Communities, normally stay for short periods with their babies before moving back to their families and continuing their education. Nevertheless, the ASA Centre has made a big difference in their lives, noted Centre Director Nadia Williams. Around 30 students successfully completed a pilot training project for entry-level Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operators at the end of August. Beginning in January 2020, classes of 25 students will receive six months of BPO training in the ASA Centre, in partnership with Avasant Foundation Jamaica and trainers from the Alorica call centre. Meanwhile, students use the computers on a continuous basis for homework assignments and research for SBAs.

IGT has been the online lottery technology provider to Supreme Ventures Limited since 2001. All IGT After School Advantage locations, including the 14 Centres established in Jamaica to date, are supported by upgrades and maintenance.

 

In five years the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Programme has impacted more than 1,600 of the best youth basketball players in the Caribbean.

Over the last five years, Digicel and the NBA have partnered to develop youth basketball across the region. The Digicel NBA Jumpstart Programme provides young boys and girls with the chance to be trained by NBA players, coaches and staff, all with a view to raising the quality of the sport in the Caribbean.

“When we first started the programme in 2015, the thought was that we would provide some enthusiastic young basketballers the opportunity to go from grassroots to greatness in the sport. With the NBA’s support, over the years this programme has far exceeded our expectations! We’ve hosted camps in 13 countries across the Caribbean, provided training for 326 coaches who have aspirations of coaching at the college/pro level and impacted approximately 1,660 boys and girls aged 12 to 17, exposing them to a level of training they would likely never have otherwise received,” said Tari Lovell, Sponsorship Manager at Digicel Group.

So far, 32 Digicel NBA Jumpstart alumni have been identified as college prospects for potential athletic scholarships, and of these 32 players, 11 are currently playing high school basketball in the United States, following their participation in a Digicel NBA Jumpstart National Camp. One young player in particular, Kofi Cockburn, is the first major NBA prospect to go through the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Programme in Jamaica. Kofi will be eligible for the NBA Draft in 2020.

The current programme structure has four phases, beginning with local selection camps where the basketball federation in each participating country picks the top 72 boys and girls; after that, each country hosts a team from the NBA to conduct the Digicel NBA National Camps, from which the top talent progresses to attend the Jumpstart Elite Camp. At the Elite Camp, the players train and compete to earn a spot among the fortunate 14 who move on to the final phase, the NBA Experience in the New York.

For the NBA Experience, the final 14 travel to the United States where they get to play 5v5 games with their US peers, explore the city and go sightseeing, tour the NBA headquarters, as well as attend an NBA game where they might meet some of their sporting heroes.

“The development of the Digicel NBA Jumpstart platform has been inspiring to witness firsthand. We are proud to be aligned with an amazing partner in Digicel to deliver first-class basketball programming to the Caribbean and are truly excited to see how it continues to evolve with time,” said Idia Ogala, Asscociate Marketing Manager, Global Partnerships (Latin America).

In addition to the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Programme, Digicel and the NBA have worked together since 2015 to deliver live games and extensive NBA programming to more than 25 Caribbean territories through SportsMax and the SportsMax app – making Digicel the Official Communications Partner of the NBA in the region.

The 2019-20 NBA season started on Oct. 22, and basketball fans can catch all the action, on-the-go, via the SportsMax app.

 

 

-Youth to Attend NBA Games, Tour NBA Facilities, and Participate in Basketball Training and Life Skills Sessions as Part of NBA Experience-

Digicel and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that the top 14 boys and girls from the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Elite Camp, which was held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 20-21, will participate in the Digicel NBA Jumpstart’s NBA Experience in New York from Oct. 30 – Nov. 4.

As part of the experience, participants will attend two NBA games – the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Houston Rockets on Nov. 1 at Barclays Center and the New York Knicks vs. the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 3 at Madison Square Garden – tour NBA facilities, visit local New York City landmarks, and participate in basketball training and life skills sessions.

The young players were selected by former NBA player Caron Butler, Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Nate Mitchell, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas and Westchester Knicks (NBA G League) head coach Derrick Alston following the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Elite Camp this summer. The camp brought together 34 of the top U17 basketball players in the region, the majority of whom were invited following their performance at the Digicel NBA Jumpstart clinics that were held in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados earlier this year.

“There are so many talented boys and girls in the Caribbean who don’t often get the opportunity to be seen or trained by internationally recognised experts in the field. Our own local coaches across the region do amazing things with these kids and this is further reinforced by programmes like Digicel NBA Jumpstart. This partnership offers players and coaches exposure to NBA standard training, while also providing them with inspiration to grow the game across the region,” said Digicel Group Sponsorship Manager, Tari Lovell.  “In the six to seven short months since the initial camp, these players have shown immense progress, earning them each the coveted spot for the Digicel NBA Jumpstart NBA Experience and we want to congratulate them for this achievement.”

“We are proud to provide young players from the Caribbean with the unique opportunity to visit New York City to train with NBA coaches, attend NBA games and experience the local culture,” said NBA Sr. Vice President, Latin America, Arnon de Mello.  “In its fifth year, Digicel NBA Jumpstart has been a key component of our commitment to growing the game in the Caribbean and all of Latin America.”

In addition to this programme, Digicel and the NBA have worked together since 2015 to deliver live games and extensive NBA programming to more than 25 Caribbean territories through SportsMax and the SportsMax app – making Digicel the Official Communications Partner of the NBA in the region.

The 2019-20 NBA season started Oct. 22, and basketball fans can catch all the action, on-the-go, via the SportsMax app.

The Economic Programme Oversight Committee’s (EPOC) role in monitoring Jamaica’s economic reform programme will continue beyond the end of the Precautionary Stand-By Arrangement (PSBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 2019.

This was announced by Hon Dr Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and the Public Service at a press conference today, 22nd August.

He noted that the Committee will have a broader base to include Civil Society members, who this morning signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Jamaica for the extension of its monitoring role.

The Minister has appointed the current Co-Chair of EPOC, Keith Duncan, to be Chairman of the expanded Committee.

The Civil Society parties that were signatory to the agreement were:  Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions, Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, MSME Alliance, and Main Domestic Creditors comprising JMMB, Sagicor Jamaica, NCB and BNS.

Dr Clarke stated, “Today we are empowering EPOC to continue in its monitoring role until (the Government’s) policy commitments are operationalized.”

He referred to the agreement made with the IMF to maintain its office in Jamaica for another two years after the end of the PSBA, and stated: “These decisions are a demonstration of our commitment to maintaining a credible and sustainable macro-economic path, including a fiscal trajectory that is consistent with our fiscal responsibility law, long into the future that provides the foundation of economic opportunity for the current and future generations.”

Chairman Keith Duncan stated:  “We believe that it is extremely important that civil society has a voice in Jamaica’s economic programme; that we are plugged in, that we understand where we are in this programme, what our targets are, where we are going as a country as we move towards economic independence.”

He continued, “We’ve already seen the fruits of fiscal responsibility in relation to our ability to invest in capital expenditure, in infrastructure and this year, in national security apparatus.”

As Jamaica moves towards significantly reducing its debt by 2025/26, Duncan noted: “We can only imagine the kind of resources that would be freed up for wider Jamaica, for the investment in our people.”

-END-

Summer 2019 is proving to be exceptionally hot, but relief has come to students at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. The Centre has received support from IGT Jamaica in the form of an air conditioning unit.

The Spanish Town location is one of four Women’s Centres across the island benefiting from an After School Advantage (ASA) Centre sponsored by IGT (formerly GTECH). The ASA Programme, which is IGT’s flagship philanthropic initiative, aims to provide easier daily access to information technology for children who would not otherwise be able to step onto the “digital highway.” The ASA Programme provides educational institutions, including non-profit organizations and schools, with computer resource centres tailored to provide access to students during the after-school hours. To date, IGT has established fourteen After School Advantage Centres in Jamaica.

Sheron Williams, Acting Centre Manager of the Spanish Town Centre, expressed heartfelt thanks on behalf of the senior management team of the WCJF and the local staff. “It is with distinct pleasure, unmatched joy, deep respect and overwhelming appreciation that I say thanks to IGT Jamaica for the outstanding contribution of an air conditioning unit for the computer lab,” she said.

“Spanish Town is generally hot, but with the installation of the unit, when school reopens for academic year 2019/20, our students will be elated to experience the effect of this precious gift from IGT,” she continued.

“Our ASA Centres are an investment in the future of young Jamaicans,” said General Manager of IGT in Jamaica, Debbie Green. “This includes not only their education and training, but also their wellbeing. Therefore, we are happy to make this contribution of an air conditioner to our valued partners in Spanish Town. We hope this will make the Centre’s everyday activities more pleasant and comfortable.”

The Acting Centre Manager added, “It has been a great pleasure partnering with IGT for the past five years. Their contribution has significantly assisted with the teaching and learning experience of information technology.”

The Spanish Town Centre, established in 1991, is one of eighteen sites where the work of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation is delivered, islandwide. The WCJF is a government agency mandated to provide adolescent mothers with continuing education during the period of their pregnancy.  After childbirth,

the young mothers are reintegrated into the formal school system to continue their education.