VZCZCXRO5523
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHKG #0613/01 2301852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181852Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7942
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2406
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0597

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINGSTON 000613 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (JMACK-WILSON)(VDEPIRRO)(WSMITH) 
WHA/EPSC (MROONEY) (FCORNEILLE) (AWONG) 
EEB/IFD/OMA 
WHA/PPC (JGONZALEZ) 
INR/RES (RWARNER) 
INR/I (SMCCORMICK) 
SANTO DOMINGO FOR FCS AND FAS 
TREASURY FOR ERIN NEPHEW 
EXPORT IMPORT BANK FOR ANNETTE MARESH 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ECON ENRG EFIN EINV ETRD PGOV PREL IADB
IBRD, IMF, TRYS, JM, XL 
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: MONETARY GAINS, FISCAL PAIN, AND 
DOWNGRADES 
 
REF: A. KINGSTON 581 
¶B. KINGSTON 551 
¶C. KINGSTON 601 
¶D. KINGSTON 245 
¶E. KINGSTON 422 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: After a series of austere monetary 
measures, led by record high interest rates, the foreign 
exchange market has been showing signs of stability, 
reflected in the marginal depreciation of the Jamaican 
dollar during the June quarter.  The stock of Net 
International Reserves (NIR) also has stabilized at USD 
1.6 billion as demand pressures for foreign currency 
appear subdued and inflation moderates to four percent 
for the first half of 2009.  These gains come at a 
significant cost to the fiscal accounts.  The fiscal 
deficit was USD 403 million, USD 46 million more than 
budgeted, because of falling revenue collection. 
Government of Jamaica (GOJ) spending had to be slashed by 
USD 87 million.  This fiscal situation triggered a second 
downgrade in Jamaica's credit rating to CCC+ by Standard 
and Poor's on August 5, drawing the ire of the GOJ.  The 
economy has not been in such dire straits since the 
economic stagnation referred to as the "lost decade" of 
the 1970s.  End summary. 
 
Central Bank Updates Nation 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On August 12, Bank of Jamaica (BOJ-Central bank) 
Governor Derick Latibeaudiere hosted a press briefing, 
attended by Emboffs, to update the country on recent 
financial and economic developments.  He noted the 
concern many Jamaicans felt about returning to the 
International Monetary Fund (IMF), but said it was 
necessary to address structural reforms in a sustainable 
manner (Reftels A and B).  He assured the press that the 
BOJ continues to keep monetary policy focused on 
maintaining macro-economic stability.  He stated that 
most economic indicators were pointing in the right 
direction, with inflation moderating, the exchange rate 
stable, and the current account deficit improving. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Inflation for the June quarter was 2.7 percent, 
well below the GOJ's target of 5.5 percent.  Inflation 
for the first half of 2009 was four percent, well below 
the 11.5 percent recorded during the similar period of 
¶2008. Latibeaudiere attributed the moderation to the 
bank's tight monetary policy stance. 
 
BOJ Defends Policy Actions 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The BOJ has come under significant public 
criticism, particularly from the business community, for 
its high interest rate policy (Reftel C).  Latibeaudiere 
defended his policy actions saying, "Whatever interest 
rate path the bank pursued was absolutely correct."  When 
one journalist at the briefing remarked that the country 
now had to "suffer under the impact of overly aggressive 
measures" by Latibeaudiere, he responded, "you mean we 
are now reaping the benefits of my actions." 
 
¶5. (SBU) Latibeaudiere noted that the IMF commended the 
bank for its monetary policy stance, saying it was a 
miracle the BOJ was able to maintain stability amidst the 
resource constraints.  He argued that making policy 
decisions in an extraordinarily difficult environment 
involved tough choices.  He told the audience that he was 
committed to never taking actions that could compromise 
sound monetary policy or actions that might undermine the 
bank's mandate of price and financial stability. 
 
¶6. (SBU) He noted that the bank's policy actions had 
yielded some positive results, noting that the Jamaican 
currency had depreciated by only 0.3 percent during the 
June quarter.  Although this might appear impressive, 
 
KINGSTON 00000613  002 OF 004 
 
 
given that the currency had lost 22 percent of its value 
between September and February, it came against the 
background of a 24 percent hike in interest rates.  This 
was augmented by frequent injections from the Net 
International Reserves (NIR) to augment supplies.  These 
measures resulted in a contraction in the need for 
foreign currency to purchase imported goods.  This in 
turn, led to a marked improvement in the current account 
deficit, which is projected to move from 21 percent of 
GDP in 2008/09 to 12 percent of GDP in 2009/10, despite 
the fall out in bauxite, tourism, and remittances (Reftel 
D).  At the end of June, the stock of NIR had stabilized 
at USD 1.6 billion or about 13 weeks of goods and 
services imports-- up from USD 1.5 billion a few months 
ago, but still well down from 2.2 billion when the global 
recession began. 
 
Stablization Gains Cause Fiscal Pain 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The BOJ's measures have not been without cost to 
the fiscal accounts; the high interest rate policy has 
increased debt serving costs in the June quarter by USD 
25 million.  For the June quarter, central government 
operations also generated a deficit of USD 403 million; 
USD 46 million more than budgeted.  The continued 
deterioration was due to declining revenue collection, as 
spending was slashed by USD 87 million to bring 
expenditure closer in line with falling revenues.  The 
BOJ's demand management program (depreciation and 
interest rate hike) has reduced consumption and thus 
reduced import taxes. The GOJ is not able to cut all 
spending, notably obligatory expenditures (interest 
payments and wages), and thus its goal of a fiscal 
deficit of 5.5 percent of GDP has been shattered. 
 
Economic Contraction, Fears of Another Lost Decade 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The BOJ's measures have also impacted the 
already moribund Jamaican economy, which is estimated to 
have declined by a further 3.5 to 4.5 percent during the 
June quarter.  This was the sixth consecutive quarter of 
decline and is the sharpest contraction in ten years. 
The fall off continues to be led by the Mining and 
Quarrying sector, as lost output from the closure of 
three of the country's four bauxite plants continue to 
take its toll (reftel D).  The stagnation in the 
construction industry also impacted output growth.  The 
contraction in GDP continues against the background of 
weak external and domestic demand from the lingering 
global economic downturn.  Jamaica is facing its worst 
economic situation since the 1970s--referred to as a 
"lost decade" of growth marked by economic setbacks and 
job losses. 
 
Hard Decisions Must Be Taken 
---------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Deteriorating economic conditions, led by the 
weakening fiscal dynamics, have forced an abandonment of 
the medium term economic framework.  Prime Minister (PM) 
Bruce Golding has already announced the tabling of a 
revised budget (Supplementary Estimate) when Parliament 
resumes in September.  This revised budget could increase 
the deficit to over seven percent of GDP, unless the GOJ 
is successful in negotiating an interest rate concession 
this year (Reftel E).  The economic contraction is 
expected intensify, meaing the projected three to four 
pecent contraction of GDP could rise to five or six 
percent.  On a brighter note, the 2009 inflation target 
has been reduced to between 11 and 12 percent, while 
interest rates have begun to decline, albeit slowly. 
 
To Consider Terms For IMF Return 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
KINGSTON 00000613  003 OF 004 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) PM Golding also announced that his Cabinet had 
considered the terms on which his government will return 
to the IMF when it met on August 17.  He said once the 
terms are decided by Cabinet it will be open for public 
discussion, and constructive concerns will be taken on 
board.  However, Golding was quick to point out that some 
of the terms of the agreement will not be pleasant. 
"When you are sick, you have to take medicine", said 
Golding.   The country could be in for some immediate 
relief, as the BOJ is set to pick up USD 328 million in 
Special Drawing Rights (SDR) from the IMF in September. 
This should strengthen the bank's stock of NIR, thus 
furthering stability in the foreign exchange market. 
 
Standard and Poor's Delivers Body Blow 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) As Jamaica contemplates a return to the IMF, 
ratings agency Standard and Poor's has announced a 
downgrade of the country's credit ratings from B- to 
CCC+. This second downgrade in less than a year was based 
on what S and P considers Jamaica's vulnerable fiscal 
profile, combined with difficult financing conditions, 
amidst a weak debt profile.  The ratings agency said this 
could well compel the GOJ to undertake a debt exchange 
that could be regarded as a distressed debt exchange 
(default).  With 25 percent of debt maturing within a 
year and with 50 percent of the debt foreign-exchange 
indexed, S and P suggests that debt servicing costs will 
rise to 60 percent of the budget in 2009, up from 48 
percent in 2008.  The agency also is forecasting that 
debt-to-GDP will jump to 120 percent by the end of 2009. 
 
GOJ Hits Back - Dispels Default Rumor 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Responding to the downgrade, Audley Shaw, 
Minister of Finance and the Public Service(MFPS), stated 
that the ratings agency ignored the positive economic 
developments led by foreign exchange market stability and 
declining interest rates.  He also emphasized that the 
GOJ does not intend to pursue any transaction with its 
creditors that could be viewed as a distressed 
transaction.  Latibeaudiere called the downgrade "pre- 
mature" and in echoing Shaw's comments said the GOJ 
"continues to maintain its resolve to honor all 
obligations, as contracted, and therefore the rating 
action was unwarranted."  PM Golding also maintained that 
there was absolutely no chance of Jamaica defaulting on 
its debt, as Jamaica was one of the few countries where 
the prior claim on budgetary expenditure of debt 
repayment were guaranteed by a provision in the 
Constitution. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) The S and P downgrade has dealt a major 
psychological blow to the already beleaguered Jamaican 
Labor Party (JLP)-led administration, but it might not 
have any material impact in the short-term, given that 
Jamaica has been frozen out of the private capital 
market.  In fact, it is the investors who already hold 
Jamaican bonds who will most likely be affected, which 
could explain the outrage coming from this sector.  Even 
if the ratings action was premature, as a starting point, 
the GOJ must acknowledge the fundamentals of the S and P 
findings--that the country has a vulnerable and 
precarious fiscal situation.  Consequently, the 
downgrade, coupled with the imminent return to the IMF, 
should be viewed as another perfect opportunity for the 
PM Golding and his party to finally address the 
structural impediments to growth and development. 
Although this move will be riddled with political risks 
due to difficult choices, any further postponement of the 
pain, in order to maintain political capital, could well 
result in another lost decade.  END COMMENT. 
 
KINGSTON 00000613  004 OF 004 
 
 
MOSS