Slow Hurricane Rebuilding Could Keep Prices High for Longer, BOJ warns
Jamaica’s inflation problem isn’t just about the damage left behind by Hurricane Melissa — it’s about how slowly the country is rebuilding. That’s the warning coming from the Bank of Jamaica, which says delays in turning recovery money into actual repairs could push prices even higher across the economy. Governor Richard Byles says close to […]
More Cash Flowing Into the System This Christmas, BOJ Says
The Bank of Jamaica says a lot more cash is moving through Jamaica’s economy this Christmas — and it’s not just about holiday shopping. The central bank is projecting that cash in circulation will rise by about $21 billion in December, pushing total currency in the system to roughly $321.6 billion by month-end. That represents […]
Jamaica Secures US$6.7B Recovery Financing After Hurricane Melissa
Jamaica has secured access to as much as US$6.7 billion in financing to support recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa. The Government says the package, spread over three years, is the largest and most comprehensive financing arrangement ever assembled for the country. The money is coming from major international institutions including the IMF, World Bank, […]
Fed Ends Tightening Cycle, But Bitcoin Still Waits for Its Breakout
The U.S. Federal Reserve has officially ended its years-long effort to drain money out of the financial system, freezing its balance sheet at about US$6.57 trillion. After removing more than US$2.3 trillion in liquidity since 2022, the Fed has now stopped quantitative tightening (QT) — a major shift that normally sets the stage for stronger […]
BOJ Warns Jamaicans: Higher Prices Are Coming and Won’t Ease Until 2027
The Bank of Jamaica is warning Jamaicans to prepare for a long period of rising prices, with inflation unlikely to return to the central bank’s 4–6 per cent target until 2027. After two years of unusually calm inflation, Hurricane Melissa has sharply reversed the trend. The storm’s damage to farms, utilities, roads and businesses has […]
Jamaica Broilers $7.2 billion loss leaves Investors worried
The latest financial report from Jamaica Broilers lands like a shockwave across the economy. A $7.2-billion loss, a restatement that erased $22 billion in past profits, negative equity of $10 billion, and a breach of major loan covenants — all triggered by accounting irregularities inside the company’s US operations. For a brand as deeply rooted […]
Hurricane Melissa Leaves Jamaica’s Hardest-Hit Families Struggling to Recover
Two weeks after Hurricane Melissa, the national picture looks steady on the surface. Banks are open. ATMs are stocked. Major telecom networks are mostly restored. Distributors say warehouse supplies of staples like flour, rice, and tinned goods remain strong. Markets have reopened, and the financial system is functioning again. But if you only look at […]
Manufacturers Count J$250B in Melissa Losses
Jamaica’s manufacturing base has emerged from Hurricane Melissa with a heavy bill and a clear mandate. The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) estimates J$250 billion in damage across the sector. At roughly J$161.04 to US$1, that is about US$1.55 billion. The figure is preliminary and likely to climb as assessments deepen, but it already […]
Jamaica Faces Nearly US$7B in Damage from Melissa
Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Parliament that Hurricane Melissa left Jamaica with a preliminary damage bill of US$6–$7 billion—roughly 28–32% of last year’s GDP. About 40% of the island took the brunt of the hit. The other 60%—the parishes less affected—must lift output now so the economy can rebalance while hard-hit communities rebuild. What this […]
Higher Food Inflation Expected After the Passing of Hurricane Melissa
Jamaicans are doing what we always do after a major storm—checking on family, clearing the yard, and heading to the shop to restock. The good news: major distributors say the island still has healthy stocks of the basics—flour, rice, oils, tinned goods—with more shipments in the pipeline. So there’s no need to panic-buy staples. The […]