Gov’t Committed to Fiscal Discipline During Hurricane Melissa Rebuilding- Senator Morgan

Parliamentary Secretary in the Education, Skills, Youth and Information Ministry, Senator Marlon Morgan, says the Government will exercise fiscal discipline and responsible governance in managing the nation’s affairs, ensuring a stronger, more resilient recovery from Hurricane Melissa.

He was contributing to the debate on the Financial Administration and Audit (Suspension of Fiscal Target Requirements) Order, 2025 and Resolution in the Senate on Friday (Dec. 5).

The Order will permit the fiscal rules to be temporarily suspended for an initial period terminating at the end of the financial year ending March 31, 2027, as the country advances its recovery from the hurricane’s impact.

It was approved following contributions by both Government and Opposition Senators.

“While our debt-to-gross-domestic product (GDP) ratio will increase and while we are having to suspend our fiscal rules, the fiscal windfall… emanating from the US$6.7 billion recovery package will inure to considerable capacity building, increased resilience, and accelerated economic growth,” Senator Morgan said.

“The ultimate measure of good, competent and effective Government is not how it functions in good times. Indeed, it is about how it functions and manages the affairs of the country in the rough and trying times. We saw it during Covid and we saw it during [Hurricane]Beryl,” he added.

The US$6.7 billion recovery and reconstruction package from Jamaica’s international development partners, follows the widespread devastation caused by the hurricane.

The package, assembled by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank Group (WBG), includes emergency response financing, sovereign loans, grants, and private sector investments over the next three years.

Senator Morgan pledged that “as Jamaica navigates the recovery and reconstruction of the economy and country, as stewards of public funds, the people’s money, we will be focused, diligent, fiscally responsible and caring in so doing. We will not make things unduly difficult or burdensome or difficult for the people of Jamaica.”

Furthermore, he said that the Government has been implementing key measures that will enhance growth in the country.

“We have instituted what is called a SPEED taskforce, we have also appointed a Minister of Efficiency and Digital Transformation [Senator Audrey Marks], and we are going to be establishing a national reconstruction and resilience authority with fit-for-purpose, carefully designed enabling legislation, to ensure expeditious procurement and agility in responding, so that Jamaica can recover stronger and build back better,” he said.