Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck is of the view that Jamaica is falling behind in the technology revolution and has urged justices of the peace (JPs) and other citizens to utilise the Government’s JAM-DEX currency to help fast-track the transition to digital services.

JAM-DEX is the digital version of Jamaica’s currency. It was introduced by the Bank of Jamaica and allows people to send, receive and spend money stored in a digital wallet in an app on their phone. The currency can be accessed through the Lynk app.

While speaking at the Ministry of Justice’s sensitisation session on the digital currency yesterday (March 22), Chuck said that it is the aim of the Government to have everyone informed about JAM-DEX and promote its use island wide.

“Technology is the way that we need to engage with in order to make progress in the country. Jamaica is falling behind in the technology revolution and I am hoping that the JPs who have joined us and all the JPs in fact, will assist and lead the way to ensure that we become, not only a cashless society but a paperless society,” said Chuck.

The minister added that it is his hope that within a matter of months, Jamaicans will no longer need cash to make their payments, as is the case in many international countries.

“Until we can get more than 50 per cent of our population using a cashless system, of which JAMDEX is an appropriate mechanism, then Jamaica will continue to fall behind,” Chuck stressed.

The sensitisation session provided a detailed explanation of digital currency and how JPs and the average Jamaican could use to currency to conduct daily monetary transactions.

Minister Chuck encouraged all JPs to listen keenly as presenters sought to inform them on the topic of digital currency, so that they could be among the many Jamaicans leading the transition to digital currency.

JAM-DEX was launched in July 2022 to deepen financial inclusion and facilitate a digital economy.

During his Budget presentation for the fiscal year 2023-2024 in the House of Representatives earlier this month, Dr Nigel Clarke, minister of finance and the public service shared that the currency was successfully used for wage payments to over 70 workers employed in the Constituency Development Fund Employment Generation Christmas Work Programme.

He added that as of February 18, 2023, the total number of JAM-DEX customers onboarded by Lynk was
190,000.

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