Dear Editor,

The recent exchange between the Government and the Opposition on e-invoicing is both timely and necessary. However, it risks becoming a debate of extremes — between exaggerated expectations and cautious dismissal.

Finance Minister Fayval Williams is correct: There is no immediate windfall to be had. No credible international experience suggests that billions in revenue can be realised within a single fiscal year. E-invoicing systems take time — years, in fact — to mature, as seen in countries that have implemented them successfully.

But it would be equally mistaken to reduce e-invoicing to a “fantasy”. The Opposition’s underlying point still holds: Jamaica is not collecting all the taxes already due. E-invoicing, at its core, is not about new taxes — it is about collecting what already exists. In that sense, it represents a tax without new taxes.

The real issue, therefore, is not whether e-invoicing works; it does. The issue is how we approach it. If treated as a short-term budget solution, it will fail. If delayed indefinitely because it offers no immediate gain, we will fall behind. What is required is a phased, realistic implementation, one that recognises both the fiscal potential and the social cost.

Particular care must be taken with small and microbusinesses. Compliance must not become another burden that pushes them further into informality. This is an area in which Jamaica has an opportunity to innovate. With the rise of artificial intelligence we can design simple, locally built tools that make compliance easier — automating invoicing, reducing errors, and lowering costs. E-invoicing should not be imposed. It should be built for Jamaica, by Jamaica.

There is no magic bullet here, but neither is there a mistake in moving forward — carefully, deliberately, and on our own terms.

Dudley McLean II

dm15094@gmail.com