KINGSTON, Jamaica — In the wake of widespread disruptions caused by Hurricane Melissa, the Government of Jamaica is racing to restore electricity to key economic zones, particularly in the western region where access to banking infrastructure remains impaired.
Energy Minister Daryl Vaz has announced that specific priority is being placed on areas with dense clusters of ABMs and POS terminals, as these systems remain critical for cash access and transaction continuity during the recovery phase. Latest national reports indicate that while 96% of point-of-sale devices and 89% of ATMs are operational islandwide, recovery is uneven. Western parishes — including Hanover, St. Elizabeth, and Trelawny — continue to report outages in critical financial hardware, with functionality as low as 53% in some districts.
“Many of the affected machines are awaiting replacement components or full replacements due to irreparable damage,” the Minister stated. “The inability to access money during a disaster is not just an inconvenience — it’s a systemic risk.”
A contingent of over 300 linesmen is expected to be deployed in the coming days as part of an intensified effort to bring major townships back online by the end-of-year holidays. This initiative follows the finalization of a US $150 million recovery facility between the Government and the Jamaica Public Service Company, aimed at accelerating grid reconstruction.
The restoration strategy will target commercial hubs first, where multiple banks and ABMs serve as critical infrastructure for both residents and businesses. “By ensuring financial services are restored in the shortest time possible, we are not just rebuilding — we are stabilizing the arteries of our economy,” Vaz affirmed.
The government’s response comes amid growing concerns over access to cash and digital payments in rural and semi-urban communities, many of which have seen prolonged outages and logistical delays. As Jamaica leans further into cashless and digitally-driven commerce, the resilience of its energy and financial networks is becoming increasingly interconnected — a reality brought into sharp focus in the wake of the hurricane.
