NEW YORK, USA — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to open an office in Jamaica in what the Washington-based lending agency says is a move that will "further deepen the IMF's relationship with the country's authorities and other important stakeholders".

IMF spokesman Andreas Andriano told the Sunday Observer here that the office -- one of two to be set up in the Caribbean -- will begin operations later this month. The other office, he said, will be established in Antigua and Barbuda to cover IMF member countries in the Eastern Caribbean.

With a similar office already operating in Haiti, the two new offices form part of the Fund's strategic plans to broaden its services in the region.

Nicolas Eyzaguirre, director of the IMF's Western Hemisphere, said the Fund's presence in the Caribbean will create a better understanding of local circumstances and constraints and help foster close and productive dialogue with policymakers in the region.

These include trade unions, the private sector, academics, and non-governmental organisations.

He expressed confidence that the presence of these resident representatives "will help the IMF develop closer ties with the people in the region".

St Lucian-born Gene Leon will head the Jamaica office, while Wendell Samuel, a national of St Vincent and the Grenadines, will head the office for the Eastern Caribbean.

Both are credited with having extensive experience in the Caribbean. Leon is also credited with developing the first Fund programme for Iraq and has led IMF teams to the Gulf region, while Samuels has worked mostly in the bank's Western Hemisphere Department.

Jamaica and the IMF signed a US$2.7-billion standby agreement in February. The country faces the first quarterly test under that agreement this month.

'Thanks for choosing Air Jamaica, the little piece of Jamaica that flies no more' — flight attendant.

FOR four decades, tourists and 'yardies' alike have flocked to Jamaica on the 'Lovebird' to enjoy the tropical climate, the food and everything else the island has to offer.

But passengers who came in on flight JM036 from Fort Lauderdale shortly after 11:00 on Friday night were not so upbeat after disembarking the 'final' flight on the national carrier.

It was an emotional journey for most, with some passengers reportedly shedding a few tears as they openly mourned the end of Air Jamaica on the late flight into Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston.

"It was very emotional; a lot of sentiments," said Captain Paul Wilson in describing the general mood aboard the flight. "We saw some low-spirited people coming off there... it was like a funeral. The last couple of flights, I have been flying with the passengers, they were all saying the same thing, 'we are going to miss you guys'," Wilson said.

EDUCATION Minister Andrew Holness yesterday described the planned two-day strike by public school teachers as unfortunate, but warned that their actions must not disrupt the sitting of Caribbean Examination Council examinations scheduled for those days.

"The ministry is not expecting, and would look unfavourably on any attempt to prevent access to any school, examination centre, laboratory or any examination material which may be in their (teachers') custody," the minister told reporters at an afternoon press briefing in Kingston.

More than ten Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency (CAPE) examinations -- including visual arts, music, sociology, French, and Caribbean Studies -- are scheduled for tomorrow and Tuesday when the teachers plan to stay off the job.

But Holness said yesterday that while many teachers may not want to turn up for work, those

scheduled to work as examination invigilators -- for which they are compensated separately — are expected to fulfil their obligations.

In addition, the minister said all administration, clerical, and ancillary staff, are expected to report to work over the two days, noting that officers from the ministry's regional offices will be visiting the schools to ensure that duties were being performed.

America to challenge Jamaica's argument on legality of evidence THE United States Government is preparing to challenge Jamaica's assertion that information passed on to the Americans regarding the extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was obtained illegally, a US State Department official told the Sunday Observer. The official, who spoke with the understanding that his name does not get published, said that the US Government would not be backing down from its intention to extradite Coke, 42, a businessman with strong links to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

However, the kind of "challenge" to be mounted was not immediately outlined. Coke, referred to as 'Dudus' and 'The President', is wanted by US law enforcers to answer gun- and drug-related charges. Critics of the Jamaica Government say the Bruce Golding administration has been deliberately delaying the process, with Golding citing, among other things, breaches by US authorities in obtaining information against Coke.

"That view should be contested, because information was in fact passed on to us legally," the official told the Sunday Observer during a telephone interview late last week.

"We are very interested in having Mr Coke brought here to answer the charges. We believe that we are on solid ground," the official said.

Jamaica's Supreme Court will, on May 5, hear a motion filed by Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne, which seeks to determine her powers and authority in extradition matters.