PM to Make Announcement on National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says that in a few days, he will make an announcement regarding the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), which is being established to lead, coordinate, and fast-track the national rebuilding effort.

He was speaking at the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) 21st Regional Investment & Capital Markets Conference on Tuesday (January 20) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

Dr. Holness said that NaRRA will be mandated to coordinate post-disaster reconstruction and long-term resilience-building.

“This will be a centre of excellence, a single point of coordination, a platform for public-private partnerships,” he pointed out.

“We will be reaching out to the private sector in a deliberate way to see how we can partner to get the projects that we had in mind for the [hurricane impacted] areas and new projects, financed and executed. It will be a bridge between climate resilience and economic development,” he added.

A chief executive officer is being recruited to head NaRRA.

Cabinet was scheduled to meet on Wednesday (January 21) to make final decisions regarding the organisational structure, governance, and a shortlist of initial projects to undertake and the legislative agenda.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the rebuilding process will focus on making the country resilient.

“Resilience is no longer optional. We have to be thinking in resilience, so we’re going to reconstruct the areas that were damaged. We’re going to do it with forward thinking. We’re going to seek to include new businesses and new infrastructure, including new towns, new roads, new schools, new hospitals,” he pointed out.

“We have to build them with the next hurricane, the next shock in mind. So, we’re not going to rebuild a hospital that is right next to the sea. If you think about it, Falmouth Hospital is right on the sea, Black River Hospital is right on the sea. We’re not going to do that anymore. We’re going to move them in-land,” he said.