Key Points:
The idea is right—but the structure is not:
NaRRA is necessary, but the Bill lacks the governance strength to deliver it.Too much control, not enough independence:
Cabinet and ministerial direction risk slowing decisions and weakening accountability.Transparency gaps remain:
The Bill does not go far enough in requiring clear, public reporting on projects, costs, and contractors.Accountability comes too late:
A review timeline of up to five years is too slow for a body built for urgent reconstruction.Fix it now, not later:
Without changes, NaRRA risks repeating the very problems it is meant to solve.
Jamaica’s proposed National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, or NaRRA, is built on an idea the country plainly needs: a special body capable of helping to steer reconstruction after disaster, while embedding stronger standards for resilience into the way Jamaica rebuilds. That core ambition is sound. In a country exposed to hurricanes, flooding…
