Newly appointed President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr Gene Leon, is currently in Jamaica on his first official visit.

Dr Leon is in the island to meet with government officials, including Prime Minister Andrew Holness, as well as members of the development finance community and the business industry.

Commenting on the visit, Dr Leon said, “The CDB is seeking to engage in continuous dialogue with our borrowing member countries and this visit is an opportunity to strengthen the partnerships with our stakeholders in Jamaica to ensure we continue to provide effective assistance and also to explore new and innovative ways of expanding our support for the benefit of the entire country.”

President Leon is leading a delegation, which includes Vice-President (Operations), Isaac Solomon, Director of Economics, Ian Durant, and Presidential Advisor, Dorla Humes. The team’s engagements commenced yesterday with a meeting with the Minister of Finance and the Public Service and CDB Governor for Jamaica, Dr Nigel Clarke at the Ministry of Finance in Kingston. Dr Clarke was joined by the Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison.

In welcoming the delegation, Finance Minister Clarke said, “I think there is great scope for working more closely with the CDB particularly as it relates to the Bank’s advisory role and the provision of technical support, and I look forward to greater collaboration in the very near future.”

The CDB team will also visit Bank projects under implementation in Jamaica, including the Essex Valley Agricultural Development Project in St. Elizabeth and the Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project in Clarendon, two major infrastructure improvement initiatives being financed under the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund. The visit is scheduled to run until Sunday, August 15, 2021.