Omar Davies

Omar Lloyd Davies ( born May 28, 1947 in Four Paths, Clarendon ) is a Jamaican politician of the People's National Party ( PNP). He was from 1993 to 2007 Finance and Planning Minister of Jamaica (Minister of Finance and Planning). Since January 6, 2012, he is the transport and construction minister (Minister of Transport and Works).

Life

Davies attended Glenmuir High School. He studied at the University of the West Indies ( UWI ) in Mona and Northwestern University in Illinois, USA, where he received his doctorate in economics in 1973. From 1973 to 1975 he was Assistant Professor at Stanford University in California from 1981 to 1989, he taught as a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the UWI.

Between 1989 and 1993 he served as Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica and consultants of the Jamaican Finance and Planning Minister. During this time he was a member of Jamaican delegations in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

In April 1993 he was appointed minister without portfolio, initially until August 1993 in the Office of the Prime Minister, then to November 1993 at the Ministry of Finance, where he had the responsibility for planning, development and project implementation.

After Davies had been elected in the constituency of South St. Andrew House of Representatives, he was appointed by Prime Minister Percival J. Patterson for Finance and Planning Minister in December 1993. He won the constituency also in the 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2011 elections and served as Finance Minister until the election defeat of the PNP in 2007. Thereafter Davies was opposition spokesman for Finance and Planning. His successor as Minister of Finance Audley Shaw was of the Jamaica Labour Party.

When the PNP won again the government majority in the parliamentary elections on December 29, 2011, Davies was appointed by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller as transport and construction minister, his swearing-in ceremony took place on 6 January 2012.

Davies is married and father of three children.