The House of Representatives has passed the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, clearing a key hurdle on the way to establishing a central agency to lead Jamaica’s post–Hurricane Melissa recovery.
The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
Debate on the bill started on Tuesday but the vote came about 1:33 Wednesday morning due to the length of the debate and clause-by-clause consideration of the statute.
More than 20 amendments were debated, with Opposition members ultimately rejecting the bill and calling for a divide, a procedure that records the individual vote of each member.
When the votes were taken, the Government secured passage of the bill with 31 in favour to 15 against. Sixteen lawmakers were absent.
The Opposition argued that the bill remains weak on oversight and concentrates too much authority in the executive structure being created.
Despite the Opposition’s objections, none of its substantive proposed amendments were accepted but the Government successfully moved a series of its own amendments, which it said were aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency within the proposed authority. These include provisions requiring NaRRA to conduct periodic consultations with residents and stakeholders directly affected by reconstruction projects, mandating the CEO to submit reports to the responsible minister every six months, and requiring those reports to be tabled in Parliament.
Additional safeguards were also inserted to address conflicts of interest, particularly involving the CEO and senior staff, amid concerns raised during the debate about governance and procurement oversight.
The bill’s passage brought to a close a tense and at times disorderly sitting of the House.
The bill was introduced by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness but piloted through the closing phases by Works Minister Robert Morgan.