Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Government Transforming Jamaica into Digital Economy
#Kingston, June 23, 2018 – Jamaica – Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government has taken steps to transform 
Jamaica into a truly digital economy. He noted that the measures include the passage of legislation such as the National Identification System (NIDS) Bill. NIDS is intended to provide a comprehensive and secure structure to enable capture and storage of identity information for all Jamaicans. Each citizen will be provided with a randomized nine-digit National Identification Number (NIN), which they will have for life.
“That is a good example of digital leadership. The Government has to ensure that every citizen can (operate) in a digital society, and the transaction has to be secure. We have to ensure security and integrity. We have to ensure transparency, and to do that you have to ensure identity,” Mr. Holness said.
He was speaking at the ninth annual Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) Roundtable Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Breakfast Forum held at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge at the University of the West Indies on June 21. It was held under the theme ‘Strategic Digital Leadership’.
Mr. Holness said a portion of the $64-million loan obtained from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to implement the NIDS will be used to build out a platform for all data to be digitized.
“Only a very small portion is for the NIDS. The larger portion of the loan is to establish the digital platform to put in place the servers, the networks, the cloud services to enable us to place all that data we are converting digitally to put at the disposal of Government and the public,” he informed.
He noted that the Government is formulating a policy to categorise, protect and digitise existing records on citizens in Jamaica. These include records at the national archives and health and education information.
The Prime Minister said the process is being undertaken by a digitisation corps under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme. He further indicated that Cabinet Ministers are to be provided with a secure electronic device complete with the requisite network and software to facilitate the delivery and receipt of Cabinet papers.
The Prime Minister said a directive has been issued to the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology in furtherance of this effort.
“I am expecting that by the end of the year, the Cabinet papers will be delivered electronically,” he said.
Currently, Cabinet papers are delivered in a very laborious and time-consuming manner. It requires transport in a red box to each Cabinet Minister’s office, where an individual opens the box, organises them into a file and assigns the Minister’s official number to the papers. Held in collaboration with the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), the MSBM roundtable explored the pivotal role of digital transformation and offered insights on leveraging digital technologies.
The event saw presentations about the state of digital play in the Caribbean based on recent research conducted by two university lecturers. They are Visiting Professor of Management Information Systems, Collat School of Business at the University of Alabama in the United States, Professor Evan Duggan; and Director of the Centre of Excellence for Information Technology-enabled Innovation at MSBM, Dr. Maurice McNaughton.
Release: JIS
Caribbean News
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate a night of wins, and take home a total of 16 titles at the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (October 6th, 2025) – CaribCon, the Caribbean conference celebrating culture, innovation, and creativity, will welcome some of the region’s most influential voices to its inaugural edition in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The event, set to be a dynamic gathering of thought leaders and cultural icons, will feature impactful panel discussions, inspiring and intimate fireside chats and a flow of knowledge from some of the Caribbean’s brightest and best in the creative sector.
Elizabeth “Lady” Montano
Jamaica’s own Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson, celebrated communications specialist, media personality, and global keynote speaker, will headline CaribCon as the official keynote speaker. Known for her ability to connect authentically and inspire audiences worldwide, Dr. Reid will share her insights on Caribbean identity, storytelling, and the power of representation in shaping global narratives. Another highlight of CaribCon will be the presence of Elizabeth “Lady” Montano, mother and former manager of soca superstar Machel Montano. Lady will launch her award-winning book, King of Soca, in which she is positioned as the ultimate insider, chronicling the evolution of one of the Caribbean’s most iconic entertainers. She will also share her invaluable experiences on nurturing talent, building a brand, and sustaining longevity in the competitive music industry in an intimate fireside chat. Adding further star power to the event is Simon Baptiste, CEO of Question Mark Entertainment, co-founder of ODOS, a global collective network spanning over 1000 professionals in 35 countries, film director, talent manager and creative strategist. Baptiste will bring his expertise to conversations on shaping the region’s creative sector and talent.
Simon Baptiste
“CaribCon is where the Caribbean’s voices, ideas, and creativity converge,” says Omega Simmons, founder of CaribCon and CEO of SOS Media. “Having leaders like Terri Karelle, Lady Montano, and Simon Baptiste share their stories and expertise truly embodies the spirit of this event. Their presence reinforces the power of Caribbean culture to inspire and influence on the world stage.” CaribCon will take place at the Shore Club in Providenciales, the Turks and Caicos Islands, from October 23rd to 26th. Attendees can look forward to networking opportunities, panel discussions, and meaningful dialogue to foster an ecosystem that develops the region’s creative sector and propels it onto the global stage.
Sponsors are:
Signature Experience Partners: Ministry of Tourism, Experience Turks and Caicos, and The Shore Club.
Other sponsors: PPID, Invest TCI, InterCaribbean Airways, Subtronic Sounds, Spotlight Communications.
Hotel partners: Ocean Club Resorts, Waterloo Hotel Management, The Somerset on Grace Bay and Ports of Call Resort.
For more information, tickets, and updates, visit www.caribcon.co or follow @caribconhq on all social media platforms.
For more information please email: contact@caribcon.co
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