The parliamentary opposition has expressed concern about the country’s low growth and increase in poverty, despite Jamaica’s completion of the precautionary standby arrangement with the IMF.

Opposition spokesman on finance, Mark Golding says that fiscal and structural reforms under the IMF programme, are not delivering the higher levels of economic growth and reduction in poverty that were anticipated.

The opposition, while welcoming Jamaica’s completion of the programme after six and a half years, notes that recent trends are not encouraging.

In a statement, Goling says GDP growth for the second quarter of 2019 was one percent, falling from one point seven percent, in the first quarter.

He says, lay-offs and the impending closure of Alpart, will have a further dampening effect on economic growth, and adverse weather conditions may impact negatively on growth in agriculture.

Citing an increase in poverty, the inflation rate, and the worsening trade deficit, the opposition spokesman on finance says, in the short term, the circumstances call for proactive and adept fiscal management, within the framework of the approved budget.

The opposition is calling for more investment in education and training to increase national productivity, accompanied by transformational social policies to tackle the fundamental causes of crime and violence, which it says, is the major inhibitor to economic growth and sustainable development.