Cayman finance minister hails Jamaica's post-Melissa rebound as model for small islands

CORAL SPRING, Trelawny — Jamaica's pace of recovery from Hurricane Melissa is being held up as a benchmark for other small island nations, according to Cayman Islands Minister of Finance and Economic Development Rolston Anglin.

Anglin, who also carries responsibility for education and training in the Cayman Cabinet, said the figures coming out of the rebuilding effort had impressed him. "It would, though, be remiss of me if I did not make mention of the marked recovery on the heels of Hurricane Melissa to our colleagues here in Jamaica. To hear the statistics of recovery is impressive," he said.

Drawing a personal comparison, the minister recalled the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, which battered the Cayman Islands twenty years ago. "I harken back two decades ago when we [Cayman Islands] were devastated by Hurricane Ivan, and I can remember going two-plus months, as an elected member, without electricity reaching my house. This recovery is a textbook case of what can be done in small island states," he added.

Anglin delivered the remarks on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) 2026 Conference, taking place at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny.

He also pointed to the role his country played when Jamaica was reeling from the storm, framing the assistance as an act of regional kinship rather than aid. "As Bob Marley questioned in his song, 'Where is the love to be found?' I am proud that the Cayman Islands stood with Jamaica in its recovery efforts. I believe we were the first ones in, post-Melissa; but we didn't do it as charity. We did it as family," Anglin said.

"Because the lesson from Melissa is a lesson for our region: where one of us is struck, all of us must answer; as one rebuilds, all of us must learn," he continued.

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for science, technology and special projects, Dr Andrew Wheatley, used his own remarks to thank the Cayman Islands for stepping up after the Category 5 system tore through the island last October.

"Our colleague from the Cayman Islands, I must remind you that we are very grateful that the Government and people of Cayman [who] responded so quickly. I believe you guys were the first to come to our assistance in a tangible way after Hurricane Melissa. It speaks to the long-standing bond between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands over the years," said Wheatley, who attended the conference on behalf of Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

The OOCUR gathering runs from April 27 to May 1 under the theme 'Navigating Caribbean Regulatory Challenges: Opportunities, Innovations and Collaborations'.