Buildings Must Be Constructed to Withstand Category Five Hurricanes in Revised Building Code

The requirement that buildings must be constructed to withstand Category Five hurricanes is a critical feature of the revised Building Code.

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said the revised Building Code will be rolled out in this financial year.

“There will also be stronger enforcement powers for Municipal Corporations, mandatory compliance checks, and stricter penalties for illegal construction in high-risk zones,” he said.

The Minister was making his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (June 3).

He said the enforcement capacity of the Local Authorities will be strengthened, as the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has given approval for a revised Establishment Structure for the Municipal Corporations, which will facilitate the employment of more building officers.

“I want to emphasise that the Reconstruction Phase is not designed to restore what has been lost. It is to replace lost infrastructure with vastly modern, climate-smart and resilient structures that dramatically improve the lives of our citizens. However, there also has to be a clear understanding and acceptance among our nationally and parochially elected representatives, as well as the general public, that it will not be business as usual,” the Minister said.

“Long-standing reckless and dangerous practices will have to be replaced with order as the new normal in the built environment. I am, therefore, calling for practicality, courage and consensus among all concerned as we work together to change living standards through the built environment,” he added.