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JAM | Jan 28, 2023

Holness confident Jamaica well on track to becoming a digital society

/ Our Today

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Prime Minister Andrew Holness. (Photo: Tamoy Ashman/Our Today)


Jamaica is on track to becoming a digital society as the Government increases support and investments in the development of the digital economy.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness highlighted several examples of the government’s strategic direction over the years including the execution of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Action Plan and National Broadband initiative, which has seen the expansion of the Jamaica Eye CCTV network as well as high-speed internet access for public schools, hospitals and parish courts.

Speaking at the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE) 18th annual Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference on Tuesday (January 24), Holness also discussed the implementation of the National Identification System (NIDS), which is currently in the technical pilot phase and will link citizens’ physical identity with their digital identity, making it easier to conduct business.

We must take deliberate steps to transition not only to the digital economy but to become a digital society, and your government has taken firm steps in this regard.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

According to the prime minister, Jamaica became the first country to recognise its digital currency as legal tender with the introduction of JAM-DEX in 2022. Digital wallets can be obtained through banks or authorised payment service providers and do not require a bank account.

“We must take deliberate steps to transition not only to the digital economy but to become a digital society, and your government has taken firm steps in this regard,” said Holness during his keynote address at the conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.

This was Holness’ tenth year at the JSE Conference, which was held under the theme, ‘Capital Markets Redefined: Achieving the Impossible’.

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