IMF says Jamaica talks to continue next week

WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Friday it would continue talks with Jamaica next week as they work to finalize a $1.2 billion standby loan.

An IMF team visited Kingston from Oct. 27 to Nov. 6, and IMF mission chief Trevor Alleyne said the focus of the talks was on policy measures to address imbalances.

"In particular, this has meant a focus on how to reduce the large fiscal deficit and put the debt on a clear downward path. In this regard, marked progress has been made during this mission," Alleyne said in a statement.

"We will continue to be in close contact and discussions are expected to continue at Fund headquarters in Washington, D.C. next week," he added. (Reporting by Emily Kaiser, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)