KINGSTON, Jamaica – Executive Director of the Economic Growth Council (EGC), Senator Aubyn Hill, says Jamaica’s transformation to a fully digital society is key to improving services delivered by the public and private sectors.

Speaking at the EGC’s quarterly briefing at Jamaica House on November 20, Hill said this would also serve to further enhance the level of economic growth recorded by the country.

“The implementation of a digitisation imperative will allow citizens, investors, bilateral lenders, granting agencies and other interested parties to do their business with Jamaica and Jamaicans online from anywhere and at any time,” the Executive Director pointed out.

Hill argued that digitising the economy will also serve to facilitate readily available data that are pivotal to key stakeholder decision-making.

Additionally, he said the process will generate digital footprints that will go a far way in assisting to address issues relating to crime, enhancing public service accountability, and further boost government revenue inflows.

Hill contended that consequent on the increase in the amount of revenue to be potentially derived, “the actual level of taxes [paid by individuals and entities] will fall”.

This, he added, as the number of taxpayers will increase, “and that will help to grow the economy”.

Arguing that digitising the economy “is not impossible”, Hill emphasised that “it has to become a national cause in order to [ensure that] we can get what we can out of the economy”.

“We must get our minds around the fact that economic growth is vital and indispensable… and digitising Jamaica is going to help us with that level of economic growth that we want to achieve. All of us must get to the point where we commit to doing this,” he added.

– JIS