TAJ’s digital resources are secure and locally managed

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) welcomes informed discussion on Jamaica’s digital infrastructure and wishes to clarify matters raised in the letter to the editor titled ‘Jamaica must guard its digital sovereignty’, dated July 17.

Revenue Administration Information System (RAiS) is a TAJ-branded implementation of GenTax, the world’s leading Commercial Off-the-Shelf tax administration solution, acquired in 2014 and implemented in 2015-2016. Over the past decade, RAiS has modernised tax administration, strengthened compliance and enforcement, improved taxpayer services, and contributed significantly to revenue collection. Its value was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when it supported the Government’s WE CARE programme and enabled uninterrupted tax administration services.

The current project is not the acquisition of a new system, but the upgrade and enhancement of an established national platform. It introduces new capabilities, including integrated appointment management, customer relationship management, chatbot support, enhanced international information exchange, and stronger business intelligence tools, all aimed at improving efficiency and taxpayer experience.

TAJ has deliberately reduced vendor dependency by building substantial local expertise. Since full implementation in 2016, TAJ’s ICT Division has assumed primary responsibility for supporting and developing RAiS. Through structured knowledge transfer, TAJ professionals now lead all production support functions, with FAST Enterprises providing specialised assistance when needed.

Jamaica retains full ownership, custody and control of all taxpayer data, which is hosted locally. There are no contractual barriers to migrating data to another platform, should TAJ choose to do so. In addition, a software escrow agreement provides access to the source code, including RAiS-specific customisations, if FAST Enterprises is ever unable to support the product. This significantly reduces vendor risk and strengthens business continuity.

Digital sovereignty is not determined by whether technology is developed locally or abroad, but by a nation’s ability to control its data, build local expertise, maintain secure infrastructure, and determine the future direction of its digital assets. TAJ’s management of RAiS has consistently reflected these principles.

RAiS securely integrates with numerous government entities and financial institutions and is supported by robust cybersecurity measures, including vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, continuous monitoring, and locally managed disaster recovery systems.

After more than a decade of successful operation, extensive local capacity building, and continued control of its data and infrastructure, TAJ remains confident that RAiS represents a sound investment in Jamaica’s digital future and will continue to support secure, efficient and modern revenue administration.

TAX ADMINISTRATION

JAMAICA