Three new bodies to be established to complement work of NaRRA in project execution

Durrant Pate/ Contributor

Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness has just announced reforms to Jamaica’s project executive architecture, announcing the establishment of two new bodies in driving Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa to build back the island better than ever.

These two new bodies, Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee  (JAMRROC), Facilitated Acceleration of Strategic Transformation (FAST) and a Strategic Investments Council, which all will complement the working that will be done by the soon-to-be-operated National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), which will have special powers to accelerate development approvals, as well as procurement.

Thereby, enabling the execution of resilient infrastructure projects at a scale and speed this country has never seen before. In making the announcement in his Budget Debate presentation Dr. Holness emphasised that these reforms represent a fundamental shift in Jamaica’s execution architecture.

Details about NaRRA’s formation 

During his four hour long presentation, the Prime Minister disclosed that the Bill to establish NaRRA under its own special purpose legislation is being tabled in the parliament today arguing, “NaRRA is not another bureaucracy. It is a deliberate intervention in how Jamaica executes. It will serve as a centre of technical excellence for project preparation and delivery, whilst functioning as a single point of national coordination, eliminating the fragmentation and delay that have too often slowed us down.

It will operate as a platform for public-private partnership, structured to crowd-in private capital alongside public investment so that the resources of the Government go further, and the burden on the taxpayer is lighter. For credible and independent oversight of NaRRA, Prime Minister Holness announced the planned formation of JAMRROC, which will be chaired by Professor Peter Blair Henry. a son of Jamaica, who is currently a Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

In the meantime, the search for NaRRA’s Chief Executive Officer is also well advanced. Following an open advertisement both locally and internationally, five candidates have been shortlisted and are going through the interview and evaluation process. 

Establishment of FAST

“A complementary reform to NaRRA addresses investment attraction. We will introduce a new framework called FAST Jamaica. This will be a part of our national growth inducement strategy through investment,” he told the parliament. FAST Jamaica, he explains will establish a dedicated pathway to fast-track strategic priority investment projects critical to Jamaica’s economic transformation — particularly those with an investment value of US$150 million or more that can commence implementation within a year and could be integrated into the NaRRA network of projects. 

Dr. Holness says, “the framework will focus on projects in sectors that will shape Jamaica’s competitiveness: energy infrastructure; digital infrastructure and telecommunications; logistics, air and sea ports; water, sewage and desalination; low-income housing and urban development; high-value tourism including wellness, medical and sports tourism; entertainment and the creative industries; STEM education and research; specialised healthcare; high-value agriculture and agro-industrial processing; advanced manufacturing; and critical minerals including rare earth elements.” 

Strategic Investments Council 

Cabinet will retain the ability to designate additional sectors where strategic opportunities arise. Central to FAST Jamaica will be a Strategic Investments Council — a high-level body tasked with the initial screening and evaluation of major investment proposals. 

According to Prime Minister, Holness, “the elements of this already exist within JAMPRO, DBJ and the Cabinet Office. The Council will assess the strategic merit, economic impact, and national interest considerations of each proposed project, and will recommend to Cabinet the most appropriate development modality — whether public-private partnership, joint venture, concession arrangement, or otherwise — as well as whether the project should proceed through direct negotiation or a competitive process.” 

Projects approved by Cabinet will be designated Strategic Investment Projects and will benefit from accelerated approvals across Government, coordinated regulatory engagement, and dedicated facilitation teams to ensure efficient execution. 

FAST Jamaica will also allow the Government, where appropriate, to engage with unsolicited proposals from investors, recognising that some of the most transformative projects originate from private sector proprietary knowledge. 

In conclusion, he declares, “FAST Jamaica is not about weakening safeguards, it is about modernising how the Government partners with strategic investors in a fast-moving global economy. Fiscal exposure will continue to be rigorously assessed by the Ministry of Finance. 

Cabinet will retain full oversight of final agreements.”