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State Minister Delano Seiveright has welcomed the passage of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill in the House of Representatives, describing it as a critical step toward delivering a coordinated, accountable and urgent national recovery following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Seiveright pointed to the scale of the crisis, noting that the hurricane resulted in an estimated US$12.2 billion in damage, impacted more than 215,000 structures, and severely disrupted schools, hospitals, roads, drainage systems and utilities across the island. Entire communities, including towns such as Black River, were significantly damaged by the Category 5 storm on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

“This is not a normal situation, and it cannot be treated with normal pace,” Seiveright said. “The scale of the destruction demands a structured, coordinated and urgent response. NaRRA is built to deliver that.”

He emphasised that while public debate around the Bill has been robust, it is important that concerns are grounded in the actual provisions of the legislation.

“I welcome the scrutiny; it is healthy for democracy,” he said. “But we must also be careful not to talk ourselves into delay. After a disaster of this scale, the greater risk is paralysis.”

Seiveright stressed that the Bill includes strong safeguards to ensure accountability and transparency. Under Clause 17, all projects must come from a Cabinet-approved list, and programmes and plans cannot proceed without Cabinet approval. Clause 9 mandates proper accounting and annual audits, with the Auditor General empowered to review NaRRA’s records at any time. Clauses 10 and 11 require annual reports and audited financial statements to be tabled in Parliament.

He further noted that Clause 20 requires a public electronic register of approved projects, allowing Jamaicans to see what is being approved and implemented in real time.

“If there are concerns about oversight, the facts are clear: Cabinet approval, Auditor General access, parliamentary reporting, and public transparency are all built into the law,” Seiveright said.

He also addressed concerns about the authority’s powers to accelerate approvals, noting that Clauses 21 to 24 include safeguards such as written directives, expert advice, notice and opportunity for representation before any escalation.

“This is not about bypassing governance,” he said. “This is about fixing bureaucratic delays while maintaining accountability.”

Seiveright pointed to international experiences following major disasters, including Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, where recovery efforts were slowed by fragmented authority and excessive bureaucracy.

“The global lesson is clear, recovery does not fail because of lack of funding, it fails because systems cannot execute,” he said.

He added that Jamaica has already taken important steps, including securing approximately US$6.7 billion in financing from multilateral partners and restoring critical infrastructure, which has helped to stabilise confidence.

“No reconstruction framework will ever be perfect at the outset,” Seiveright said. “There will be refinements and improvements. But perfection cannot become the enemy of progress.”

He underscored that NaRRA is a time-bound authority, with provisions for its eventual dissolution, and operates within Jamaica’s broader system of oversight, including Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee, the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, the Integrity Commission, the judiciary, the media, and the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMRROC), chaired by Professor Peter Blair Henry.

“This is about balancing urgency with accountability,” Seiveright said. “Jamaica cannot afford delay. We must act, and we must deliver.”

The NaRRA Bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.