PNP senator urges joint select committee review of NaRRA Bill before passage

The People's National Party (PNP) is pushing for the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill to be referred to a joint select committee before lawmakers move it any further through Parliament.

Opposition Deputy Spokesperson on Productivity, Efficiency and Competitiveness, Senator Cleveland Tomlinson, pointed out that NaRRA would be charged with administering and managing billions of dollars drawn from the public purse, while also clearing a fast-tracked path for private sector investors. Given that scope, he said the legislation as drafted hands too much authority to the minister and fails to establish a board for the Authority, an audit committee, an internal auditor, or any risk management function.

"This cannot be right," Senator Tomlinson said. "An Authority with such enormous financial responsibility must have basic internal governance structures in place. The Bill as it stands is missing essential pillars of accountability."

The senator accepted that rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Melissa are time-sensitive, but maintained that the need for speed does not excuse weak oversight. He recommended that a joint select committee be set up with a fixed window, suggesting roughly 60 to 90 days, to wrap up its work.

"The Bill needs the benefit of interventions and contributions from stakeholders and the wider society who have a strong interest in getting this right," he added. "A joint select committee can ensure that the final legislation balances urgency with good governance."