Gov’t Has Spent $67 Billion for Hurricane Restoration
By: , March 18, 2026
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, opens the 2026/27 Budget Debate) in the House of Representatives on March 10.The Full Story
The Government has spent $67 billion for relief and restoration efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Outlining details of the expenditure during the opening of the 2026/2027 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 10, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Willimas, said that $24.1 billion or (US$150 million) was loaned to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to accelerate the return of electricity.
Also included in the recovery spending was $3.39 billion to support the tourism sector; $3 billion to the Development Bank of Jamaica for the M5 Business Recovery Programme, while the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change received $3.25 billion to support the restoration efforts of the National Water Commission (NWC).
The Minister reported that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security was allocated $11.2 billion, of which $10 billion was for grants to households under the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelter (ROOFS) programme.
There was also a $155-million cash transfer for Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) recipients, and $32 million for children with disabilities impacted by the hurricane.
In addition, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information received $2.3 billion to include $1 million to each of 616 schools identified as needing recovery funding.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness got $2.3 billion; the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, $3 billion; and the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications received $1.5 billion.
The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development was allocated $4.6 billion for the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) pre/post hurricane clean-up, while central government support to municipal corporations was $1.35 billion, which is included in the $4.6 billion, and $1 billion for the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) for post disaster relief efforts.
