Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh said it was important to recognise the changing role of the Commonwealth Ministerial Debt Sustainability Forum in developing countries during his address, after accepting the chairmanship of the Forum for 2008/2009.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) the forum, formerly the Commonwealth Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) brings together finance ministers of the HIPC countries of the Commonwealth to discuss and advocate issues of common interest related to the achievement and maintaining of debt sustainability. Singh accepted the chairmanship on April 9 at a meeting held in Washington DC at the World Bank.