Caribbean News
MSMEs ENCOURAGED TO HELP SHAPE COUNTRY’S DIGITAL FUTURE
KINGSTON, October 25 (JIS): Operators of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are being encouraged to play their part in shaping Jamaica’s digital future.
The call came from Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Harold Davis, who recently participated in the JIS TV programme, ‘Get the Facts’.
“Digital transformation is no longer a nice thing to have; it’s a need to have,” Mr. Davis said, as he outlined the transformative potential of the Digital Jamaica Project, which is set to enhance the country’s digital landscape.
He also emphasised the urgency of digital literacy, availability, and accessibility, noting that to compete globally, Jamaica must embrace a digital future.
“Digital literacy, availability and accessibility are major issues, and basically, the world has become a digital space, so for Jamaica to participate in the global economy, we have to move to have our country digitally enabled,” the Deputy CEO said.
A recent JBDC survey revealed that only 33 per cent of MSMEs are actively utilising digital tools and recognising the benefits of
digitalisation.
“We did a survey to assess the existing situation in our economy for all MSMEs and what we found was that there were varying levels of readiness of our MSMEs,” Mr. Davis noted.
While the figure is a start, he described it as “modest”, as the JBDC aims to raise it to at least 80 per cent.
Mr. Davis further explained that while many MSMEs are present on social media, they often lack comprehensive digital solutions that could enhance their operational processes.
“We also found that not a lot of them use digital solutions to really transform the belly of the organisation in terms of their processes, supply chain management and financial transactions, so we have a little way to go,” he said.
Having analysed the data, the JBDC is committed to increasing the number of MSMEs that leverage digital tools to their advantage.
“The JBDC is about general transformation of your business, making sure that your business moves into this space of being globally competitive. So, the first thing that we do is a robust 360 assessment of your business, as no one size fits all,” Mr. Davis explained.
This assessment involves the JBDC conducting thorough evaluations of businesses to determine whether a viable business model exists, and to ensure that companies are delivering on their value propositions.
If a business is not fulfilling that value proposition, further assessments are conducted to identify unique circumstances and opportunities for digitisation, digitalisation, and overall transformation.
MSMEs are also encouraged to view their digital journey in three phases – digitisation, which focuses on converting analog processes to digital formats; digitalisation, which utilises appropriate tools for e-commerce, supply chain, and human resource management; and digital transformation, which involves a comprehensive overhaul of business models to integrate digital solutions.
“I often say that digital transformation is not so much about the digital but about the transformation of your business,” Mr. Davis reiterated.
For more information about the Digital Jamaica Project and JBDC’s services, persons can visit https://www.jbdc.net/.
CONTACT: SHERIKA WILLIAMS
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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