Jamaica Already Seeing Results from ICT Authority

A year after its formal operationalisation in 2025, Jamaica’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Authority is driving a wave of modernisation across government, delivering on its mandate to cut bureaucracy and improve efficiency.

The ICT Authority is a key pillar of the country’s Streamlining Processes for Efficiency and Economic Development (SPEED) Agenda.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador the Hon. Audrey Marks, provided an update on the work of the Authority in her contribution to the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Wednesday (May 20).

“In April 2025, the Authority was formally operationalised with a clear mandate to strengthen governance, accelerate digital transformation and bring greater coordination to how technology is managed across government, and we are already starting to see the results one year later,” Ambassador Marks detailed.

She noted that since then, the Government successfully modernised Jamaica’s motor-vehicle registration system by transiting from traditional physical documents to electronic motor-vehicle registration and digital fitness certificates.

“To date, 1.1 million motor-vehicle registrations have already been processed online, reflecting a real and measurable impact of digital transformation in this space,” she informed.

She emphasised that the platform is reshaping how citizens experience government services.

“Jamaicans can now receive timely notifications when their certificates are nearing expiration, allowing them to stay compliant without uncertainty or last-minute stress. Renewals are also fully available online, enabling citizens to complete the process quickly and conveniently from wherever they are,” she detailed.

Ambassador Marks noted that the Authority has also successfully expanded the footprint of Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) through the mobile application (app).

Citizens can complete a range of transactions through the app, including making tax payments and paying for other government-related services such as police record applications, tax compliance certificates and drivers’ licence applications.

“So far, the mobile application has already attracted more than 40,000 users and counting,” the Minister informed.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Marks noted that the ICT Authority has facilitated the implementation of digital signature services across government.

She explained that while the Electronic Transactions Act was passed in 2006, full implementation demanded the digital infrastructure, governance systems, security architecture, and coordinated government execution.

“Two critical pillars of transformation were the electronic transaction signature policy and the establishment of Jamaica’s national public key infrastructure (PKI), which this Government has now successfully implemented.

The PKI enables the issuance of secure electronic documents, creating the trust framework required for legally recognised digital transactions,” the Minister explained.

She noted that with this infrastructure in place to support the legislation, the full implementation of the electronic signatures across government was effected in March of this year.

“This milestone marks a historic leap forward in national digital transformation because today digital signing allows documents to be securely executed electronically. This means people and businesses can now submit and receive authenticated documents at government offices without relying on paper or in-person visits for a wet ink signature,” Ambassador Marks added.

She noted that the acceptance of the electronic signature across government has been transformative for the courts.

The Minister noted that since 2026, a total of 322,364 traffic tickets have been issued, compared to 714,362 in 2025.

“Some of these traffic ticket matters require a warrant to be signed and issued by a judge. Judges are now enabled to sign traffic ticket warrants electronically, and so far, approximately 103,089 traffic ticket warrants have been electronically signed by judges,” she shared.

Ambassador Marks emphasised that digital signing of warrants means less physical movement of documents, fewer administrative delays, reduced printing and storage costs, faster processing across the justice system and more time for judges to focus on other critical duties in the advancement of justice in Jamaica.

She noted that citizens can check the status of their traffic tickets using the Government’s official traffic ticket digital service at trafficticketlookup.gov.jm.