Bank of Jamaica survey shows firms expect 7.1% inflation as Flow expands 5G rollout

Jamaican firms surveyed by the Bank of Jamaica in March 2026 said they expect inflation to reach 7.1% over the next year, above the Government of Jamaica’s 4% to 6% target band. Most respondents also expected the central bank’s policy rate to hold steady over the following three months, though that view was less common than in the previous survey.

Businesses projected the 90-day Treasury bill yield at 6.1% three months ahead, unchanged from the earlier survey result. The findings point to continued concern among firms about price pressures, borrowing costs and near-term financial planning.

Flow also announced a new phase in Jamaica’s mobile network upgrade. Steven Price, the company’s vice-president and general manager, said 5G service is now available in Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, May Pen and across the North Coast. He said further deployment is under way for Mandeville, Santa Cruz, Black River, Savanna-la-Mar, Bull Bay, Morant Bay and surrounding areas, with rollout scheduled between now and the end of the month.

On the stock market for June 11, 2026, Dollar Financial Services Limited led trading with 487,675,188 units, accounting for 92.41% of market activity. Can Tie Holdings Jamaica Limited followed with 16,620,353 units, or 3.15%, while AMG Packaging and Paper Company Limited traded 4,902,924 units, equal to 0.93% of activity. Investor interest remained concentrated in finance, packaging and distribution-related counters.

Bank of Jamaica foreign exchange data for June 11 showed strong trading across major currencies. The US dollar was listed as selling at J$157.62 and buying at J$159.35. The Canadian dollar sold for J$113.61 and was bought for J$112.32, while the British pound sold for J$213.66 and was bought for J$212.32. The movements reinforced the need for businesses to manage import payments, debt servicing and overseas exposure carefully.

The report also urged consumers to align travel rewards with their credit profile before choosing a credit card. For small businesses seeking capital, it recommended stronger financial records, credit checks, written growth plans, relationship-building and business formalisation before applying for funding.