Personal Information

Honorable E. Jay Saunders is the Minister of Innovation, Technology & Energy and the former Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Investment & Trade of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

As the first Minister responsible for innovation and technology, Hon. Saunders is tasked with transforming the Turks and Caicos Islands Government into a 24×7 Government, and helping it improve customer service and become a High-Performance Government. Hon. Saunders’ ministry consists of: 

• The Department of Information, Communications, and E-Government (DICE), 
• Customer & Government Information Services (CGIS), 
• Radio Turks & Caicos (RTC), and 
• The Energy and Utilities Department (EUD).

During Hon. Saunders’ tenure as Minister of Finance, Investment & Trade (August 2021 – March 2024), the Turks & Caicos Islands saw a significant uptick in annual revenues, reaching a record US$413.2 million in financial year 2022/23. This achievement marked the first time the country’s revenues surpassed the US$400 million milestone. 

Hon. Saunders’ impact has also been felt in the health sector. From February 2021 to July 2021, he served as the Minister of Health & Human Services. His leadership was instrumental in the Turks & Caicos Islands Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, active COVID-19 cases fell from over 400 to zero, which led to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) adjusting its risk rating of the islands from level 4 (the highest) to level 1 (the lowest).

Backed by a strong background in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Hon. Saunders has made substantial contributions in the area of technology. Hon. Saunders is the founder of DSS, the developer of SafetyNet.ai, an AI platform that aids financial organizations in complying with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Client (KYC) rules and regulations. 

In 2005, Hon. Saunders co-founded Digicel TCI, a mobile telecommunications company that forms part of Digicel’s network in the Caribbean and South America. As its founding CEO from 2006 – 2014, Hon. Saunders took Digicel TCI from 0% market share to over 50% market share in a 3-player market.