Reading Time: 3 minutes

Member of parliament for South St Catherine, Fitz Jackson, has slammed the Government for delaying a Private Member’s Motion urging the Bank of Jamaica to investigate and address the persistent issue of malfunctioning automated teller machines (ATMs) across the country.

The motion was tabled in Parliament on December 19, 2023, following multiple reports from citizens who voiced their frustrations about challenges in acquiring cash to conduct transactions in preparation for the Christmas holidays. The public outcry sparked a response from banks pledging to address the issue, however, the challenges persist.

During a sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, Jackson attempted to have the motion heard. However, the matter was postponed by the Speaker of the House.

“The obstructionist stance by the Speaker of the House is not new, as previous attempts to table the motion were similarly impeded, resulting in a delayed presentation to the House by two weeks,” argued Jackson.

He continued, “It is appalling that the Government and the Speaker are demonstrating such callousness on matters affecting thousands of Jamaicans and businesses across the country.”

Jackson added that there has been a deafening silence from the minister of finance and the Bank of Jamaica on the inconvenience and hardship faced by the public. This, he said, raises serious concerns about their commitment to addressing the pressing issues affecting citizens across the nation.

“As ATM services remain unreliable, causing significant disruptions to daily life and hampering economic activities, the absence of a proactive response from key financial authorities is not only disheartening but also underscores a lack of accountability by the Jamaica Labour Party administration. Jamaican citizens deserve transparent communication and decisive action from those entrusted with overseeing the nation’s financial well-being”, said Jackson.

Jackson’s motion requested that the Bank of Jamaica consider implementing minimum service standards for ATMs.

He further proposed that the Economy and Production Committee of Parliament schedule a meeting with the Bank of Jamaica, within 45 days from the reading of his motion in the House of Representatives, to address not only the issue of malfunctioning ATMs, but also other challenges affecting Jamaicans conducting business with financial institutions.

Earlier last year, there were numerous reports of robberies and attempted robberies of ATMs across the island. Security guards associated with security company Beryllium Limited were also attacked on multiple occasions while trying to replenish ATMs.

These incidents prompted the National Commercial Bank, one of Jamaica’s leading financial institutions, to permanently close some of its ATMs due to security concerns.