The UWI Fiscal Research Centre (UWI-FRC) is a partnership between the University of the West
Indies (UWI), through the Department of Economics at Mona, the Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB), and the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) at the University of Ottawa.
It was launched at the University of the West Indies on October 22, 2024, to advance public finance
and policy research, as well as address gaps in fiscal management education in the Caribbean.
The UWI-FRC is currently in its development phase, with renovations to its physical location, a
strategic recruitment drive, and the launch of initiatives aimed at fostering fiscal policy education.
The FRC's home, located at 8 West Road, UWI, is currently being renovated and is expected to be
completed by early next year. This upgrade will provide a dedicated space for the Centre’s operations.
Concurrently, the FRC is actively recruiting new staff members.
The leadership team comprises Professor Dillon Alleyne, serving as interim director, and Dr. Sandria
Tennant, a senior research fellow with a joint appointment at both the FRC and the Department of
Economics. The Centre has also recruited a competent Administrative Assistant, Ms. Omara Wright.
The FRC is in the process of building a website, which is approximately 70% complete. This digital
platform will be a central hub for information, showcasing the FRC's goals, ongoing research,
publications, and data. It will also offer opportunities for affiliates and outline the process for joining
the Centre's network.
In a timely and relevant initiative, the Fiscal Research Centre has just completed a hybrid
course/workshop entitled "Financing Adaptation and Climate Change,"; which ran from Monday,
September 8, to Friday, September 12, 2025. This course, a collaboration between the FRC, the IDB,
and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, addressed the
critical issues of climate change and its impact on public finance. The course brought together a wide
cross-section of stakeholders from both government agencies in Jamaica and academia. Notably,
participants included representatives from:
- Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ)
- Ministry of Finance & the Public Service (MOFPS)
- National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)
- Independent Fiscal Commission (IFC)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining
- Ministry of Job Creation & Economic Growth
- The University of the West Indies, including the Department of Economics, Faculty of
Science and Technology, and the Institute for Sustainable Development
In terms of its research work, the FRC is finalising its first working paper entitled. “Recent Trends in
Jamaican Tax Revenue, Tax Burden and Tax Capacity”,
Preliminary results indicate that Jamaica’s tax-to-GDP ratio was at least 10 percentage points higher
than the average for Latin American and Caribbean countries between 2010 and 2020, and exceeded
that of all but three countries in the region in 2022 (Sandria Tennant, 2025).
The FRC also commented on the tax proposals presented by the two major political parties, before the
general elections in Jamaica, and its reflections were shared with them.
The FRC has now shifted its focus to publishing its first edited book, a joint publication in
collaboration with its founding partner, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). The book
will centre on Jamaica’s experience over the past decade in terms of fiscal consolidation and
economic stabilization. The editorial team consists of Henry Mooney from the IADB, Professors
Dillon Alleyne and David Tennant. The outline for the book has been approved by the University
Press, and the authors are working on their chapters. The estimated completion for this timely and
critical publication is early 2026.
