Government defends Hurricane Melissa donation spending after audit criticism

The Government is defending its handling of Hurricane Melissa donations after an audit showed that $26 million of the $1.4 billion received for recovery work has been spent to date, representing about 1.8 per cent of the donated total.

The finding has drawn public backlash, particularly as some people affected by the hurricane say they are still trying to rebuild months after the disaster. In a video statement, Government Senator Marlon Morgan, parliamentary secretary in the information ministry, said the figure needed context and did not mean the money was being ignored or withheld.

Morgan said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management had to follow required procedures so the funds could be properly tracked and accounted for. He pointed to Jamaica’s 2017 financial instructions, which replaced the 1977 framework, and said the donations could not be used without those controls.

According to Morgan, $240 million from the Hurricane Melissa donations is being used for the Government’s roof repair programme. Another $600 million has been assigned to prepare bases for modular houses for people whose homes were destroyed, while $560 million has been committed to other hurricane recovery and relief activities.

The Government also says the donated $1.4 billion is only a small part of its wider hurricane response, which it puts at $67 billion. Morgan said that spending covers roof repairs, school restoration, post-disaster cleanup, care packages and work to restore water service across the island.

He also cited assistance for farmers and small businesses, along with the disputed loan to the Jamaica Public Service Company. Morgan argued that the Government will be able to show donors tangible results, including repaired roofs, concrete bases and other infrastructure linked to modular housing.