PM Mottley welcomes appointment of Jamaica’s Finance Minister as new member of the IMF

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phosphorusCaribbean Minister Mia Mottley has welcomed the appointment of Jamaican Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clark as the new Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying “this achievement is a significant milestone for the entire Caribbean region”.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday that Clark’s appointment to head the Washington-based financial institution “is a significant addition to our skills and capabilities and comes with the strong support of the IMF staff.”

Georgieva said Clark is expected to take office on October 31, replacing Antoinette Sayeh, who will step down on September 12.

Published in tenformal twitterPrime Minister Mottley said the appointment was “a testament to the talent of our region and a powerful example for all of us.

“Congratulations Dr. Clark, the Caribbean stands proudly with you as you embark on your next chapter,” she wrote, adding that she also congratulates you on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados.

Georgieva said Clark will become a member of the IMF’s “most senior leadership team,” consisting of four deputy managing directors and herself, “and his responsibility will be to assist me in leading the Fund and serving its 190 member countries.”

Prime Minister Andrew Holness called the appointment a “historic and significant development”, noting that never in the 80-year history of the IMF had a citizen of Jamaica, the Caribbean or Central America served at that level.

Clark holds a PhD in Numerical Analysis from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and an MSc in Applied Statistics from Oxford University, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.

He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of the West Indies, where he also served as an independent scholar in Jamaica. (CMC)