Private Roundtable with Colombian Finance Minister José Manuel Restrepo

The Dialogue hosted a private, off-the-record discussion with Colombia’s finance minister, José Manuel Restrepo, on Thursday, February 17 from 8:30 until 9:30 am. The event offered an opportunity for Dialogue members and supporters to exchange views on the outlook for Colombia’s economy with one of the most prominent members of the Duque administration. Restrepo became Minister of Finance and Credit last May and before that had served as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism since 2018. 

Last week, Colombia’s finance ministry revised its economic growth target for this year upward to 5 percent from a previous target of 4.3 percent, building on growth of nearly 10 percent in 2021. The ministry added that its estimated central government fiscal deficit last year was 7.1 percent of GDP, lower than its December forecast. However, Colombia faces rising inflation and volatility in the peso currency’s value. Moreover, with congressional elections scheduled next month and a critical presidential race in May, the direction of economic policy in South America’s second most populous nation is more uncertain than it has been in years.

The session focused on a variety of questions, including:

• How well has the Duque administration managed the economy?
• What is the outlook for Colombia’s economy this year, and what headwinds will it face in the months ahead?
• How are Colombia’s trade and investment flows evolving after two years of the pandemic? 
• How has the country’s business climate been affected by violent protests last year and election uncertainty in the period ahead?

SPEAKER

José Manuel Restrepo Abondano

Minister of Finance, Colombia (@jrestrp)

MODERATOR

MICHAEL SHIFTER

President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)