12 December 2014
A round-up of public finance news stories from Latin America and the Caribbean you might have missed.
Brazil government seeks to shore up credibility
The Brazilian government adopted a more realistic, market friendly prediction for gross domestic product growth in the 2015 budget bill, after having been widely criticized for overstating its official forecasts. It lowered GDP growth to 0.8% in the 2015 budget, down from a forecast of 3% when the budget was first announced in August. (Wall Street Journal)
Haiti to receive $24m in education funding from IDB
Haiti will be receiving a $24m donation from the Inter-American Development Bank, following approval this week. (Caribbean Journal)
Argentina names official to investigate state corruption
Argentina’s government on Wednesday named a criminal lawyer to run a department for investigating state corruption, even as it is under the spotlight for alleged wrongdoing. (Turkish Press)
Jamaica: Auditor General urged to probe Bureau of Standards
Opposition spokesman on finance, Audley Shaw, wants the Auditor General to carry out an immediate performance audit of the Bureau of Standards of Jamaica. Shaw said that it is necessary and urgent because ‘it appears manifestly clear that the standards compliance fees collected by the Bureau of Standards at the ports of entry are not being used for the purposes for which they were intended’. (Jamaica Observer)
Bids for metro in Colombian capital to open in 2015
Bidding to build a long-awaited $6.9bn subway system in Bogota, Colombia's capital city, will open in the second half of 2015, the mayor said on Wednesday, adding that the project has garnered interest from foreign companies. (Reuters)
