Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
World Bank Country Rep. relocated to Jamaica
Giorgio Valentini
World Bank Director for the Caribbean, Françoise Clottes, on Wednesday, last, announced that the former resident representative to Guyana, Giorgio Valentini, will also be representing for Jamaica and will be relocated there.
Valentini’s post will also include responsibilities for Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
“In his new role, Giorgio will continue to strengthen relationships between the Bank and partner countries, while ensuring the overall quality of Bank’s financial and analytical services,” said Clottes.
Valentini joined the World Bank in 2002, where he has since worked in the Latin America and Africa regions on state modernization, health care, judicial reform, public-private partnerships, social protection and fiscal administration.
His most recent position was Country Representative for Guyana, and he was based in Georgetown.
Before joining the Bank, Valentini worked as a management consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton on business development for the private sector and on the reform of the Social Security Administration in the United States.
“The World Bank is committed to continue supporting the Caribbean as the region makes improvements in economic growth and social development in the wake of the global financial crisis, which has proved particularly challenging to them,” said Valentini.
“The challenges of climate change for the Caribbean countries are also a key focus that we support fully with a variety of programs tailored to each country’s specific needs.”
Valentini has replaced Badrul Haque, who has been appointed Senior Country Officer in the World Bank’s Caribbean Unit in Washington, DC. Haque, a Bangladeshi national, had been the World Bank’s Special Representative in Jamaica since March 2008.
Valentini is the official who stated that the World Bank would not engage in a tit-for-tat with the Guyana Government after the administration had taken issue with Valentini indicating that the World Bank had not been approached for financing for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.
Valentini was asked recently why the World Bank was “not too keen” on the project and he disclosed that they were not asked.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh had lambasted the World Bank official following an article carried by this newspaper which noted that the Guyana government never approached the World Bank to seek assistance for financial closure for the project
The Finance Minister in a statement questioned the Bank’s priorities and opined that its country representative (Valentini) had no competence to comment on the Amaila Falls hydro project.
Dr Singh said that the Bank’s move to new offices and the hiring of new staff had come to be a “worrying trend of shifting priorities.”
He said that he would be happier, if the country office of the Bank expended more effort to increase its work and development impact in Guyana, instead of trying to increase its visibility and “creature comforts.”
“Of all our development partners, the Bank has one of the smallest project portfolios, but one of the largest offices and, it would appear, one of the largest appetites for publicity and self-promotion, even if only recently acquired.
Guyana still faces considerable development challenges, and we need the assistance of the World Bank, we don’t need grandstanding by their staff in the country.”
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