Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright, says Jamaica’s swift, coordinated and well-financed response to Hurricane Melissa has reinforced the country’s reputation as a resilient, investment-ready and well-governed economy, while safeguarding business continuity and national confidence.

Speaking before business leaders and corporate professionals at a JMMB Thought Leadership Breakfast at S Hotel in Montego Bay on Wednesday, Seiveright said Jamaica’s post-storm performance reflects years of deliberate policy planning, institutional strengthening and disciplined fiscal management under the leadership of Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

He noted that the PM’s ASPIRE framework, which anchors national development around access, security, prosperity, integrity, resilience and equity, serves as an effective guide on the nation’s path forward.

“Beyond that, our recovery strategy was clear and deliberate—keep businesses operating, protect jobs, and restore confidence quickly, because confidence is the currency of economic renewal,” Seiveright said. “Hurricane Melissa tested our systems, and they held.”

He explained that Jamaica’s multi-layered disaster risk financing framework allowed the Government to mobilise immediate liquidity of approximately US$662 million, drawing on contingency reserves, the National Natural Disaster Reserve Fund, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), World Bank catastrophe bonds, and contingent credit lines from the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. This was further strengthened by an unprecedented coordinated multilateral support package of up to US$6.7 billion, involving the IMF, World Bank Group, IDB, Caribbean Development Bank and CAF, including US$3.6 billion in sovereign recovery and reconstruction financing and US$2.4 billion mobilised specifically for private-sector investment.

According to Seiveright, this financial architecture ensured that Jamaica could move decisively and calmly in the immediate aftermath of the storm, preserving economic stability, protecting jobs, and maintaining investor confidence at a critical moment. He noted that the coordinated recovery response was being led through the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce under the direction of Minister Aubyn Hill, working closely with public agencies, utilities, financiers and private-sector partners.

He reported that national restoration efforts continue to advance at a strong pace, with electricity restoration reaching approximately 95 per cent islandwide, water systems operating at over 95 per cent, telecommunications connectivity substantially restored, and banking systems, hospitals, healthcare services and schools largely returned to full functionality.

More than 300 foreign linemen, alongside additional local crews and specialised equipment, were deployed to accelerate electricity restoration, enabling a turnaround that compares favourably to international disaster recovery benchmarks.

In underscoring the significance of Jamaica’s recovery speed, Seiveright drew a parallel with Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane and caused a near-total collapse of the electricity grid. Puerto Rico, with a population and terrain broadly comparable to Jamaica, experienced a nationwide blackout that lasted 328 days, almost 11 months, the longest in modern US history.

“Against that international context, Jamaica’s restoration performance following Hurricane Melissa stands as a powerful demonstration of planning, coordination and execution,” Seiveright said. “Speed matters, not just for comfort, but for economic continuity, employment protection and investor confidence.”
He added that Jamaica’s ability to restore critical services quickly helped preserve tourism flows, sustain manufacturing output, protect the BPO sector and stabilise thousands of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of the economy.

Seiveright said resilience is now embedded as a core pillar of Jamaica’s national growth strategy, fully aligned with the ASPIRE framework, and supported by strong fiscal discipline, reduced public debt, credible institutions and robust disaster-preparedness systems.

“Our approach demonstrates that resilience is not accidental. It is planned, financed and executed. Jamaica is building a model where economic growth and disaster preparedness reinforce each other,” he said.

He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to continued investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, disaster risk financing, grid modernisation, water security, digital resilience and logistics systems, positioning Jamaica as a regional benchmark for disaster preparedness, recovery speed and economic resilience.

“Jamaica is open for business, investment and innovation,” Seiveright added. “Our recovery from Hurricane Melissa confirms that this country is not only resilient—it is reliable.”