The Central Bank of Jamaica has announced the launch of a central bank digital currency. The bank has stated that the CBDC, dubbed the Jamaican Digital Exchange (Jam-Dex), will be released during the first quarter of this year.
The CBDC will aid in lowering the transaction fees while allowing the unbanked population to access financial services.
Jamaica launching a CBDC
Despite over 17% of the Jamaican population being unbanked, internet penetration in the country stands at above 55%, while almost every Jamaican has mobile phone access. These two factors could aid in the adoption of Jam-Dex.
Estimates show that during the next five years, more than 70% of the Jamaican population will adopt the use of the country’s CBDC. The Bank of Jamaica hopes that the CBDC will dominate at least 5% of the transactions done each year once it is launched.
The central bank has stated that Jam-Dex will bring transparency into the banking and financial sector. All transactions, including government welfare payments, would be easily traceable when made through the Jam-Dex network. This will boost accountability in the payments sector.
Recently, the central bank issued around $44000 to two leading banks in Jamaica to facilitate the testing phase of this CBDC in the real world. Once this token is launched, those who want to transact with it can sign up for a digital wallet and then make a deposit using a regulated bank in Jamaica.
Financial problems to be solved with a CBDC
The launch of the Jamaican CBDC is set to have major effects on Jamaica’s financial sector. The first benefit is that it will allow the unbanked one in the country to gain access to a radical financial system that offers inclusivity.
The use of the CBDC will also allow government agencies to monitor the purchase of subsidized goods and detect anomalies in prices. The Jamaican government will easily crackdown on price cartels to regulate market prices. Regulating market prices will happen in instances when the government has offered subsidies.
The use of a CBDC will also help Jamaica to counter money laundering. Jamaica’s economic system is prone to money laundering and terrorism financing. In 2020, Jamaica was among the countries blacklisted by the EU after it failed to prove adherence to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) protocols.
Jamaica is also on the gray list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This resulted in Jamaican merchants being removed from leading global retail platforms. With the Jamaican CBDC, it will be easier for the financial sector to have a high level of transparency.
The Jamaican government will also have an easier time cracking down on businesses avoiding tax. This is because of the ability of the transactions to be traced.
Despite these benefits, there is still the threat of the CBDC being opposed. Resistance from the population or the political sphere could cause delays in the adoption of the currency. The Jamaican population is opposed to government surveillance.
