PRIME Minister Andrew Holness says the Jamaican economy must now rapidly transition to online transactions, as the COVID-19 crisis has exposed the inefficiencies and riskiness of cash transactions.

The prime minister said governments have been slow to transition the economy to online platforms.

Holness again argued that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a comprehensive national identification system, stressing that the Government must be able to ascertain and verify the identity of, and account for the benefit provided to each person, not only to ensure that the right individuals are receiving benefits but to protect the general public good.

Furthermore, the prime minister said, having a standardised system of identification significantly reduces transaction costs and processing times.

Prime Minister Holness also pointed to the six-year-old flexible work arrangement legislation which, he said, facilitates some of the arrangements that have been made at this time.