https://9p7pzq3jbl.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ProdStage Skip to main content
Publications
Advanced Search

View metadata

dc.titleAddressing Debt Overhang: Experiences from Two Debt Operations in Jamaica
dc.contributor.authorSchmid, Juan Pedro
dc.contributor.orgunitCountry Department Caribbean Group
dc.coverageJamaica
dc.date.available2016-12-19T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2016-12-19T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractJamaica entered the world economic downturn in 2008 from a position of ongoing weak economic performance and high, increasing debt levels. As a result, Jamaica's fiscal situation quickly became unsustainable. Starting in 2010, the government made important efforts, including two domestic debt exchanges, to bring its debt trajectory on a sustainable path. This brief assesses the two debt exchanges and explores whether their design was appropriate to address Jamaica's debt sustainability. A major issue in the case of Jamaica is the high exposure of the financial sector to government debt, creating a link between the fiscal situation and financial sector stability. In addition, the composition of Jamaica's debt restricts debt operations to domestic government securities, which comprise around half of total debt. Any attempt to restructure the debt stock through a debt action, such as a haircut, is likely to have a substantial impact on the domestic financial sector, which has a sizeable exposure to sovereign securities. Any losses of the financial sector would likely have negative multiplier effects on GDP growth, employment, and poverty. As such, the brief concludes that the scope of fiscal savings from debt restructuring in the absence of financial sector crisis was always small.
dc.format.extent19
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0008462
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Addressing-Debt-Overhang-Experiences-from-Two-Debt-Operations-in-Jamaica.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectDebt Restructuring
dc.subjectFiscal Consolidation
dc.subjectInterest Rate
dc.subjectFinancial Bond
dc.subjectDomestic Debt
dc.subjectGDP Growth
dc.subjectCommercial Bank
dc.subjectFiscal Sustainability
dc.subject.jelcodeE62 - Fiscal Policy
dc.subject.jelcodeF34 - International Lending and Debt Problems
dc.subject.jelcodeH63 - Debt • Debt Management • Sovereign Debt
dc.subject.jelcodeH81 - Governmental Loans • Loan Guarantees • Credits • Grants • Bailouts
dc.subject.keywordsinterest rates;debt sustainability
dc.typePolicy Briefs
idb.identifier.pubnumberPolicy Briefs
idb.operationJA-P1137
Return to Publication