Letter of the Day | Ja’s challenge is not the absence of systems ...

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I write to commend Mr. Julian Robinson for his recent article and to express strong support for his central thesis that Jamaica’s fiscal challenge is not primarily a matter of tax rates, but of inefficiencies in revenue capture and compliance.

From an ICT and government systems perspective, his argument can be strengthened by explicitly framing the issue as one of digital architecture and system integration across government.

Jamaica has made meaningful progress in digitising public-sector functions. Core systems exist across key entities, including Tax Administration Jamaica, the Jamaica Customs Agency, the Companies Office of Jamaica, and the Government of Jamaica Electronic Procurement platform (GOJEP). However, these systems largely operate as standalone digital assets – islands of automation – rather than as components of a coordinated, interoperable ecosystem.

The challenge is not the absence of systems; it is the absence of effective integration between them.

Data currently resides in multiple systems across ministries, departments and agencies, using different identifiers and data structures. There is limited real-time or automated data exchange, and cross-system reconciliation remains largely manual or episodic. Consequently, government lacks the ability to trace economic activity end to end, automatically detect inconsistencies, and apply data-driven compliance at scale.

The entity best positioned to address this gap is ICT Authority Jamaica (JAMICTA). With its mandate to coordinate ICT across government, provide shared services, and establish standards and guidelines, JAMICTA is the logical lead agency to drive interoperability and enterprise integration across MDAs.

In practical terms, integration requires API-based connectivity that allows secure, standardised data exchange; shared data standards; consistent identifiers for businesses and individuals; and automated data matching across systems. Importantly, this would allow existing platforms to work together rather than requiring new systems to be built.

For example, integrating Tax Administration Jamaica with the Jamaica Customs Agency would align import data with declared sales, exposing under-invoicing. Linking TAJ and the Companies Office would identify registered entities that are not tax-compliant. Connecting TAJ with GOJEP would ensure that government vendors are compliant before payments are made.

By adding this technology lens, Mr. Robinson’s argument becomes more precise and implementable. It shifts the national conversation from whether taxes should be increased to whether government systems are capable of accurately capturing economic activity.

HERMAN ATHIAS