Business groups back Antony Anderson for NaRRA while pressing for oversight

Three major private-sector organisations have given support to Major (Ret'd) Antony Anderson as the new head of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, while signalling that the agency must be closely watched as it manages major post-Hurricane Melissa rebuilding work.

The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Association of Jamaica and the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica said Anderson brings credibility, senior public-sector experience and a record of getting assignments completed. NaRRA is the special-purpose authority created to move large infrastructure and recovery projects at greater speed after the hurricane.

JCC President Emile Leiba told The Gleaner that, based on what is known, Anderson appears to have the operational background needed for NaRRA's mandate, which will involve coordinating several resources across major infrastructure projects. Leiba said questions about Anderson not having direct infrastructure experience are fair, but added that the right technical team around him could help close that gap.

Leiba also pointed to Anderson's service as a former police commissioner, Jamaica Defence Force chief, national security adviser and Jamaica's ambassador to the United States. Even so, he said the JCC intends to pay close attention to how the authority carries out its work, particularly in relation to taxpayer money, loan financing and other funds that will pass through NaRRA.

He said the chamber wants strong supervision, proper auditing and confidence that the auditor general will exercise oversight of public bodies, including NaRRA.

IMAJ President Richard Mullings also welcomed the choice, saying Anderson has built a positive reputation and has generally been seen as a person of integrity. Mullings said the construction sector expects early and honest discussions on how Jamaican contractors will be included in projects and how local people will be equipped to take part in the rebuilding effort, whether through training or other NaRRA systems.

However, Mullings said the association still has unresolved concerns about the law establishing NaRRA. Those issues include the transparency arrangements and the fact that local contractors were not consulted while the legislation was being drafted. He said the IMAJ is waiting to see the regulations and ministerial orders that will guide how the law is carried out.

Without those supporting instruments, Mullings said, it would not be clear how Anderson would operate in the post.

SBAJ President Garnett Reid said he expects the reconstruction programme to create opportunities for Jamaican enterprises. Reid said Anderson has a significant responsibility to make sure small, medium-sized and large local companies are treated fairly in NaRRA-related work, but he described the appointment overall as a good decision.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness announced Anderson's selection on Wednesday and said he will take up the position on June 1. Holness said 85 people applied for the chief executive officer position and seven were shortlisted. Applicants came from Jamaica, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Among those reportedly considered were a former British diplomat and a senior United Nations official who is Jamaican and has decades of experience in disaster risk reduction, recovery and management. Holness said he did not involve himself in the recruitment process, which was handled by a panel that included Public Service Commission Chairman Patricia Sinclair McCalla and Cabinet Secretary Audrey Sewell.

In announcing the appointment, Holness said he had strong confidence in Anderson. He noted that Anderson had previously been asked to review the State's response to Hurricane Beryl, including the work of entities involved in that response and, specifically, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. Holness said that assignment had already placed Anderson close to the issues NaRRA will now address.

The Senate passed the NaRRA legislation on May 8 after repeated objections from the parliamentary Opposition and civil society organisations.

The People's National Party said it expects Anderson to act with transparency, integrity and accountability, but argued that the appointment creates serious questions for the Government. Among them, the party said, is whether Anderson was part of the original recruitment process.

Political commentator Lloyd B. Smith said Anderson is a solid pick because he is not generally regarded as politically aligned. Smith told The Gleaner that NaRRA had become politically divisive and that the selection could help reassure civil society groups and members of the PNP who feared the authority would effectively become a Jamaica Labour Party-controlled space with a figurehead at the top.

After the announcement, Anderson met with embassy staff in Washington, DC, where he referred to examples such as Singapore and Bahrain. He said Jamaica has to place greater emphasis on speed, efficiency and scalability in both the public and private sectors.

Anderson said countries that do well in the present period will be those able to adjust quickly, use technology well and make decisions that are smarter and faster. For Jamaica, he said, resilience and development must rely more heavily on innovation, digital tools, predictive analytics and agile execution systems, all of which could improve national development results and strengthen institutions such as NaRRA.