KINGSTON, Jamaica— Scotiabank has pledged $5 million to the Jamaica Debates Commission for the staging of the 2020 national political debates.           

Describing itself a long-time supporter of the democratic process, Scotiabank says it considers the debates an important vehicle to help the public make informed choices going into an election.

President and CEO of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited, David Noel said “We salute the excellent work that the Debates Commission has done in previous elections and continues to do to help foster a vigorous democratic process. We are happy to make this contribution which will ultimately benefit the Jamaican public.”

The debates commission will stage three debates on topics of critical interest to the public – social issues, financial and economic strategy, and general leadership. They are set for August 25, 27 and 29 respectively. 

“We are very pleased to welcome back Scotiabank as a major sponsor of our debates,” said Noel daCosta, chairman of the Jamaica Debates Commission. “They had assisted when we staged our first debates, so this repeat sponsorship affirms their confidence in our work, and reconfirms their commitment to the democratic process”.

The Jamaica Debates Commission was formed in 2002 with the over-arching objective of contributing to the strengthening of democracy by providing a platform for political parties to take their competing visions to the Jamaican electorate. It was initially established as a non-profit partnership between the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and Media Association Jamaica Limited.