AS the Christmas season draws closer, the Bank of Jamaica is reassuring the public, and business people in particular, that when the impact of recent flood rains on agriculture inevitably cause price increases for some food items in the coming months, Jamaica’s economy will successfully absorb the shock and quickly return inflation to normal levels.

In addition to the more generic advertisement that has become the norm for the BOJ’s inflation awareness communication programme, the bank has been running ads that specifically speak to this issue.

In a series of fliers, placed as advertisements in both major daily newspapers after being premiered on the bank’s Twitter page, BOJ highlights its 90-odd per cent track record of keeping inflation within the target range. In addition to being undisturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, that record also shows that when inflation spiked above six per cent it reversed and fell back to normal levels within a month.

One of the advertisements, using a casino theme, dares business people and subtly suggests that they will lose money if they bet against BOJ’s ability to pull inflation back down quickly if it spikes.

Two of the advertisements feature a photo of BOJ Governor Richard Byles accompanied by audio of his speech at BOJ’s recent quarterly press conference, where he addressed the issue.