Government to Develop New Cybersecurity Law – Jamaica Information Service
Government to Develop New Cybersecurity Law – Jamaica Information Service
https://jis.gov.jm/government-to-develop-new-cybersecurity-law/
Publish Date: 2026-07-01 13:26:00
Source Domain: jis.gov.jm
The Government is moving to develop a new national cybersecurity law, says Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley.
He made the disclosure during his recent contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.
Dr. Wheatley informed that the foundation has already been laid with a comprehensive legislative drafting instructions matrix for Jamaica’s Cybersecurity Act completed in July 2024.
It was one of six documents produced to strengthen Jamaica’s national cybersecurity ecosystem in preparation for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) investment programme.
“That matrix provides a near-complete blueprint for what this law will contain and how it should be structured. The legislative pathway is clearly defined and the timeline is set. A cybersecurity policy and legislative gap assessment will be completed within the first four months of our new national governance framework. Drafting instructions will be finalised by month six. Cabinet submissions on the full legislative package are targeted for months nine to 12,” he stated.
Dr. Wheatley said that the law will create a formal framework for designating and protecting critical information infrastructure, and establish the National Cybersecurity Directorate in statute, giving Jamaica’s permanent cybersecurity authority a legal foundation that “no future change in administration can quietly dismantle”.
“It will mandate minimum cybersecurity standards across regulated sectors, with the authority to enforce compliance. It will create clear obligations for incident reporting, responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities, and the regulation of cybersecurity service providers operating in Jamaica,” he added.
The Minister noted that the legislation will establish Jamaica as the Caribbean’s legislative…
