House debate focuses on Melissa recovery, productivity and justice reform

The House of Representatives resumed sitting on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, with members moving directly to public business to continue the sectoral debate. Presentations were scheduled from Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie, Manchester Southern MP Peter Bunting and St. Elizabeth Northeastern MP Jelica Jess.

McKenzie said Jamaica's reconstruction after Hurricane Melissa must go beyond replacing damaged infrastructure. He said 3,764 building applications were submitted between January and September 2025, valued at $46.1 billion, with 81 per cent approved within 90 days. He said post-Melissa approvals had remained near that pace, with 78 per cent completed within the benchmark period.

The minister said the new building code would require structures to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, with stronger enforcement powers, mandatory compliance checks and tougher penalties for illegal construction in high-risk areas. He also reported that more than 48,000 truckloads of waste had been removed under national cleanup phases after the hurricane.

McKenzie said new infirmaries would be built in Trelawny and St. Elizabeth, with another planned for St. Ann. He also outlined spending on infirmary repairs, homeless shelters, fire stations, emergency communications, drain cleaning, water trucks and disaster-preparedness support.

Bunting used his presentation to argue that Jamaica had achieved fiscal stability without the productivity gains needed for broad prosperity. He said labour productivity had declined over 25 years and warned that weak institutions, bureaucracy, limited workforce readiness and artificial intelligence posed serious risks to growth.

Jess focused on justice issues, criticising court conditions in St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland after Hurricane Melissa. She called for urgent repairs, better courthouse security, broader legal aid for civil matters, support for justices of the peace, firearm-law amendments and accountability within the Firearm Licensing Authority.

After the sectoral debate was suspended, the House recommitted the agenda, tabled ministry reports and Cabinet agenda papers, referred monetary policy documents to the Standing Finance Committee and adjourned to a date to be fixed.