Christopher Brown urges stronger execution on Jamaica’s digital agenda

Opposition Member of Parliament Christopher Brown has criticised the pace and delivery of Jamaica’s digital transformation programme, arguing that government has relied too heavily on major announcements while implementation has lagged.

Brown said several initiatives have been marked by long timelines, rising costs and public uncertainty, followed by new names, ministers, speeches or acronyms. He pointed to JAM-DEX, saying that although a legal tender framework exists, the system still lacks the practical infrastructure needed for broad use, including a merchant adoption plan and a published road map.

He also questioned the rollout of the ICT Authority, noting that a six-year-old act was only operationalised in April 2025 while the related budget was reduced. On the Jamaica Digital Exchange Platform, Brown said the tool is useful, but asked why there is no binding requirement for every ministry to adopt it by a set date.

The MP raised similar concerns about the Data Protection Act, which passed in 2020 and came into force in 2023. He said the three-year gap was followed by confusion across the private sector, with regulations still being drafted after enforcement had begun. Brown also noted that the law provides for a review every five years, and said that timeline has already passed.

Addressing the Government, Brown said Jamaica’s success should be the shared goal, but urged a sharper focus on delivery. “Less announcements, less global workshops, more execution, more legislation, more funding, and more delivery,” he said.

He called for a Cybersecurity Act before the Government’s stated 2027 timeline, an updated national cybersecurity strategy, and an enacted artificial intelligence policy with a binding deadline. Brown said that AI policy should include funded retraining for workers affected by automation and real access for constituents seeking new opportunities.

Brown also urged one national digital skills plan with a single target, a university commercialisation framework so research at UWI and UTech can produce patents, licences and Jamaican companies, and a new research and development investment target that is funded and publicly reported.

He closed by warning that the issue is larger than one administration or one side of Parliament, linking weak delivery to wider concerns about participatory democracy and noting that voter turnout fell to 37 per cent in the 2020 COVID-era election.