The Mona School of Business will be hosting a lecture by Dr. Auguste Kouame from the World Bank on the topic "Jamaica and the World Bank's Development Policy Loans, 2009 to 2011- Recession, Restructuring, Reform".  The presentation will commence at 6 p.m. in the Executive Lecture Theatre of the Alister McIntyre Building.

Overview

Dr. Kouame will explore the areas of support that were covered under the last two Development Policy Loans (DPLs) granted by the World Bank to Jamaica for budgetary support. A third DPL is being considered for 2011.

  The World Bank has helped the Jamaican government prepare a prospectus on fiscal and debt sustainability. A US$100 million loan was approved in January 2009 and another US$200 million loan was approved in February 2010, following the approval of an IMF program that included the execution of a domestic debt exchange.

 Development policy lending (DPL) provides rapidly-disbursing financing to help a borrower address actual or anticipated development financing requirements of domestic or external origins. DPL aims to help the borrower achieve sustainable poverty reduction through a program of policy and institutional actions, for example, strengthening public financial management, improving the investment climate, addressing bottlenecks to improve service delivery, and diversifying the economy. It supports such reforms through non-earmarked general budget financing that is subject to the borrower's own implementation processes and systems.

  The Bank's use of DPL in a country is determined in the context of the Country Assistance Strategy. The World Bank's program of work with Jamaica is guided by a Country Partnership Strategy. This strategy is developed in consultation with country authorities, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders in Jamaica.

 The format of the event will be a 20-30 minute presentation (brief) and a Q&A session following with Dr. Auguste  and other members of the World Bank/DPL team.

Biography

 Dr. Auguste Kouame is the World Bank's lead economist and sector leader for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management for the Caribbean. He joined the Bank in 1996 as a Young Professional in the South Asia region and soon thereafter worked in the Bank's Office of the Chief Economist as a member of the 1998/99 World Development Report core team. Dr. Kouame has held several positions at the Bank, including in the Middle East and the Caribbean Regions, as Economist. He was a Special Representative in Haiti and an Assistant to the President of the World Bank. Dr. Kouame completed graduate studies at the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Economique in Paris and holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and the DELTA research center both in Paris. Prior to joining the World Bank, Dr. Kouamé worked at the United Nations Development Program and taught applied economics in Côte d' Ivoire and France.