Anthony Anderson named first NARA CEO as Jamaica signs Ghana health staffing deal

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness on Wednesday announced that Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Anthony Anderson, will serve as the first chief executive officer of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, NARA.

The opposition People’s National Party has questioned the selection, saying it wants clarity on whether Anderson took part in the original recruitment process for the post.

Jamaica has also entered a four-year memorandum of understanding with Ghana to help address health-sector staffing shortages. The arrangement is intended to allow the temporary recruitment and deployment of nurses and doctors from Ghana.

The agreement comes as concerns continue over gaps in Jamaica’s public health workforce, especially among specialists, after the March end of the country’s 50-year medical cooperation agreement with Cuba.

In another development, the Supreme Court is due to rule on Friday on an application from the Firearm Licensing Authority. The agency is seeking disclosure of an Integrity Commission report dealing with alleged corruption and irregularities at the FLA.

That matter has unfolded alongside political debate over Parliament’s decision not to table the report, which was submitted on March 30.

Applications for Jamaican citizenship through missions in the United States have climbed significantly. Embassy and consular figures show a 25 per cent increase in 2025, led mainly by citizenship-by-descent and marriage applications.

The Jamaican Embassy in Washington, along with the consulates in New York and Miami, reported thousands of applications and approvals. Processing remains slow, particularly for marriage-based cases, which can take several years.

In sport, Jamaica fast bowler Ojay Shields has been selected for a high-level Cricket West Indies fast-bowling camp in Antigua next month. Regional officials are looking to build the West Indies pace-bowling resources for upcoming international assignments. Former West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson will lead the camp.

At midday, the US dollar was selling for J$158.08, the British pound sterling for J$214.80, and the Canadian dollar for J$117.36. Thursday’s weather forecast called for windy and hazy conditions.