Senator Morgan says hurricane donation audit reinforces case for NaRRA

Senator Marlon Morgan, who serves as Parliamentary Secretary in the Information Ministry, contends that the real-time audit carried out by the Auditor General's Department demonstrates how urgently Jamaica requires the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA).

That audit, laid before Parliament on Tuesday, found that of the $1.44 billion gathered in cash donations for Hurricane Melissa through the Support Jamaica initiative and other direct contributions, just $26 million — or 1.8 per cent — had actually been disbursed for the benefit of storm victims.

In a media release issued on Wednesday, Morgan responded by pointing to a separate figure in the same report: the Government has moved to spend more than $11 billion across 420 active contracts tied to Hurricane Melissa relief and recovery.

"What is instructive is that the J$1.4 billion in donations cited in the Auditor General's Report as being unspent so far is exponentially outstripped by the massive J$11.3 billion that is actually being spent on various relief and recovery initiatives. There can be no denying that in spite of bureaucracy-related red tape which delays project implementation and the expenditure of available funds, the Government has utilized practical and situationally appropriate mechanisms to deliver timely and effective relief for citizens affected by Hurricane Melissa, while ensuring value for money," Morgan explained.

Even so, the senator described the audit — which placed spending by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) at under two per cent of the $1.44 billion donation pool — as well-timed.

"It is a timely and compelling justification of the urgent need for NaRRA. Prime Minister Holness and his Cabinet deserve full commendation for the foresight and pragmatism reflected in the framing of NaRRA to lead Jamaica's post-Hurricane Melissa reconstruction and resilience building," Morgan said.

The NaRRA Bill sets up the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority as a special-purpose vehicle charged with designing and accelerating major recovery and infrastructure projects. It cleared the Senate last week.

The legislation had earlier passed the House of Representatives following a marathon sitting that ran from Tuesday, April 28 into the early hours of the following Wednesday. During that debate, the Government secured several amendments it said were aimed at strengthening transparency and governance, among them provisions for periodic stakeholder consultations, reporting obligations to Parliament, and conflict-of-interest safeguards covering senior officials. Opposition members maintained that those changes still did not go far enough.

Since its introduction, the bill has drawn sharp scrutiny, with more than 28 civil society groups and governance advocates publicly criticising it. Morgan, however, said the Auditor General's findings reinforce the administration's position throughout the NaRRA debate.

"As a Government, we did our research and presented data making the case that there is a better way forward in pursuit of reconstruction and resilience building — a 21st-century, fit-for-purpose way that will have positive impact and deliver transformational results in a timely fashion, while ensuring transparency, probity and accountability. I wish to emphasize the fact that the Report in question is the product of a real-time audit, which is a snapshot in time, and as such, it should be appreciated that post-Hurricane Melissa relief and recovery activities are ongoing; they are not at an end," he added.