Gov’t Implements Electronic Signatures Policy

The Government has implemented the electronic transactions policy, establishing the Government of Jamaica standard for the lawful, secure and auditable use of electronic signatures and electronically signed records for the conduct of official business.

It validates electronic signatures, giving them the same legal standing as handwritten ones, ensuring they are not denied validity simply because they are in electronic form.

The policy will guide the implementation of the Electronic Transactions Act, passed in 2007, which provides a comprehensive framework to govern electronic communications, records and signatures in a way that promotes trust, legal certainty and technology neutrality.

Minister of Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador the Hon. Audrey Marks, officially launched the Act and policy during Wednesday’s (March 25) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

She explained that while the Act provides legal recognition for electronic signatures and electronic documents and that some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have started to use solutions like the Adobe Sign and Docusign to affect electronic transactions and sign documents, many others continue to rely heavily on wet ink signatures and manual processes.

“This was because there was no unified government-wide policy to guide practices across MDAs. Today, we are providing that policy guidance and directive. The full implementation of the Act starts today,” she stated.

Ambassador Marks noted that the primary objectives of the policy are to establish a standardised risk-based framework for the use of electronic signatures; promote authentication integrity, accountability, and auditability of electronic transactions; improve efficiency, business continuity and reduce reliance on paper-based processes; and ensure alignment with the Electronic Transactions Act and related legislative requirements.

The policy, which will be made available by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, introduces a risk-based classification system for electronic signatures, ranging from low-risk authenticated methods to high-security certificate-based digital signatures.

MDAs are required to classify transactions as low, moderate or high risk, to determine the required assurance levels, and heads of entities will assign officers to oversee full implementation and compliance.

Ambassador Marks said that MDAs must accept electronic signatures from suppliers, contractors and citizens once the method used is not prohibited by law.

“The Government of Jamaica will progressively make electronic submission and digital interaction the default way citizens and businesses engage with public services. Digital transactions do not merely represent a technology upgrade; it is a modernisation of how government interacts with the public. This means that electronic submission will become the primary channel for official business, and valid electronic signatures will not be refused solely because they are electronic,” Ambassador Marks said.