The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) says it is working closely with the banks to ensure the restoration of normal banking services in the shortest possible time, following the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Jamaica on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

The central bank, however, noted that the absence of utilities across the island, the unavailability of staff due to the dislocation arising from the effects of the hurricane, and the inability of the service providers to access several of their ABMs will limit the speed at which normalcy is restored.

Restoring services will be particularly more challenging in the rural areas, the banks said, notably in the western parishes.  

“The payment systems operated by Bank of Jamaica, which facilitate the electronic settlement of transactions, are fully operational. A number of banks have started to provide limited in-branch services and are endeavouring to provide ABM services as widely as possible at this time,” the BOJ said.

“Additionally, we are advised that the online and customer support services for all banks are operational. We will continue to closely monitor the progress being made by the banks and will seek to address the areas of concern as they arise,” it continued.

In the meantime, the Jamaica Bankers’ Association (JBA) said it appreciates and understands that clients are eager to access banking services following the passage of the tropical cyclone.

“Please be  assured that our members are working to restore full service as quickly as possible. As of [yesterday], some  members are able to provide limited branch services at a few locations,” the JBA revealed. 

“In order to restore full banking services to the public, each member organisation is conducting  assessments of staff wellness, reviewing the state of their branches and coordinating necessary repairs,” it continued.

The JBA also pointed out that its member institutions will continue to share updates with customers on service availability over the  next 24 hours and, therefore, encourages customers to check their respective bank’s social media pages, websites and the traditional media services for the latest updates.