Anthony Anderson outlines NAR priorities as hurricane recovery agency starts work

Major General Anthony Anderson took up office on June 1 as chief executive officer of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, the new body assigned to manage Jamaica’s reconstruction and resilience programme after Hurricane Melissa. His start date also marked the opening of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November.

Anderson said the timing underlined the urgency of the work, especially as storms are now a concern across a longer portion of the season. He said NAR will not replace the country’s disaster-response agency, but will concentrate on major rebuilding and resilience projects for the Government, while supporting knowledge transfer and capacity building.

He said Hurricane Melissa’s damage has created a chance to rebuild stronger infrastructure, expand construction capacity, expose young engineers to large-scale work and develop public-sector leaders who can perform under pressure. Success, he said, would mean delivering Cabinet-approved projects quickly, efficiently and transparently, while coordinating with public-private partnerships and private-sector initiatives so that related efforts support each other.

In the first 100 days, Anderson said, the priority is to build out NAR itself, since the legislation has created a CEO post but the organisation still needs staff, systems and reporting tools. He said automated project-management systems should help make information on progress and transparency part of routine operations. By year-end, he expects NAR to be operating, to have a register of relevant projects, and to have engaged ministries, departments, agencies and affected parish councils.

Responding to questions about his qualifications, Anderson pointed to his experience leading large organisations, including the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, as well as service as national security adviser and Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States. He said he also led the JDF engineer regiment during the 2000s, responded to Hurricanes Ivan and Gustav, managed about 250 construction projects of various sizes, worked with the National Housing Trust on inner-city housing projects, and built military bases. He also recalled working in construction and construction supervision while studying electrical engineering.

Anderson said he applied after the job requirements were advertised in print and online and was interviewed for about one hour and 45 minutes. On public concerns about NAR’s powers and accountability, he said the authority must adopt credible systems based on international best practice, communicate openly, and prove itself through delivery. He said the goal is for NAR to leave a lasting improvement in how Jamaica plans, builds and grows.