MINISTER of Finance and Public Service Audley Shaw says no prior actions were required of the Government by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a pre-condition for Jamaica passing its 13th-consecutive test under the Extended Fund Facility agreement with the fund.

Shaw told the House of Representatives yesterday that the suggestion that there was a pre-conditional basis for Jamaica passing this latest, which he ascribed to the Opposition People’s National Party(PNP), were either misleading or disingenuous.

“Let me make it clear that in their consideration of the 13th review under the programme, no prior policy or other conditions were sought from the Government of Jamaica,” Shaw said.

“It is standard practice by the IMF that policy commitments be considered in any programme review. This simply reflects the continued commitment of the Government as expressed in its revised Letter of Intent that I sign at each review,” he stated.

“Thus, I can only conclude that such comments were misleading at best and disingenuous at worst,” he added.

Shaw’s statement was aimed at Opposition spokesman on finance and planning, Dr Peter Phillips, who, following the revision by the IMF, had suggested that the Government had only received a “conditional pass” in terms of the 13th performance test under the current agreement.

Shaw, in response then, described Phillips’s behaviour as “wild, mischievous and without substance”.

“In fact, in questioning the status, the former minister is attacking not only the Government of Jamaica, but the IMF,” Shaw said then.

But, on Monday night, the IMF put the speculations to rest in a press release which confirmed Jamaica’s passing of the 13th test, as well as the fact that the Government now has immediate access to the plum reward of an immediate disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 28.32 million (about US$39.6 million).

The IMF said its board made the decision on September 16, based on lapse-of-time procedures. The lapse-of-time procedure was that the IMF’s executive board took the decision without requiring a meeting, after accepting that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

In the release, the IMF commended the Government’s continued commitment to the reform programme; noted that domestic confidence indicators are at an all-time high; and highlighted that there are improving signs of economic activity.

However, the IMF board also pointed out that higher growth dividends, more job creation and improved living standards are essential to maintaining social support for the reform agenda.

Shaw told the House of Representatives that the Government remained committed to fully meeting the targets for the remaining two reviews under the current arrangements, which ends March, 2017.