MINISTER of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams has argued that business continuity must be a priority for all public sector entities, with resilience embedded into the design of every service.

Delivering remarks on behalf of Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness during the Government of Jamaica Service Excellence Conference 2026 at Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Wednesday, Williams pointed to Hurricane Melissa last October as an example of the importance of resilient public services.

“Devastated citizens in western Jamaica still needed to access critical services, they needed medical care, they needed to replace lost documents and get reliable information. Undoubtedly, our public sector systems came under significant strain. We saw where some systems held up and, regrettably, we also saw many that did not,” said Williams.

She argued that Melissa highlighted the progress that the public sector has made but also exposed the gaps that remain in maintaining service delivery during periods of crisis.

“In those moments of crisis, our citizens were not thinking about policies, frameworks or procedures. They were asking a simple question. Can Government still serve me when I need it most? And that’s why service delivery matters,” added Williams.

Business continuity is the capability of an organisation to maintain or quickly resume essential functions and deliver products or services at acceptable levels during and after a disruption.

Williams charged that, “It must be planned for, it must be tested and it must be continuously improved. With the clear linkage between service delivery and crisis resilience, public sector leaders must build systems that are not only efficient in normal times but capable of performing under pressure”.

The finance minister further argued that improving service delivery is essential, pointing out that it is the difference between stability and uncertainty, between confidence and frustration and, ultimately, between trust and doubt in public institutions.