ODPEM Moves on Auditor General Findings as BOJ Reports $4.6 Billion Loss

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management says it is acting on findings in an Auditor General’s report, citing progress on hurricane roof repairs, tighter inventory controls, and better coordination across agencies.

Director General Commander Alvin Gayle and board chair Trudy Deans told the Jamaica Information Service that corrective work is already under way, including website access controls and documentation reforms. Under the shelter recovery programme, implemented by the Jamaica Defence Force with regional and international military partners, 507 hurricane-damaged roofs have been fixed in phase one, which ODPEM is now closing out with a report on homes repaired and work completed.

Gayle said the Auditor General’s concerns centred on paperwork, not lost stock. “It wasn’t a matter of material having gone missing. It was in that particular report a matter concerning us having countersigned on all the delivery receipts,” he said, noting ODPEM representatives will countersign deliveries at four JDF-run operating bases. Deans said the board wants a single platform so ODPEM can see who has benefited from roof aid and what the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is doing, reducing duplicated assistance. Gayle added that stronger monitoring should close every gap identified in phase one.

Separately, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information welcomed a Planning Institute of Jamaica study on emergency support for students with special education needs and disabilities. Deputy Chief Education Officer Dr Winnie Berry said the findings will reinforce the ministry’s education-in-emergencies policy. Researcher Dr Shakisha Wilson-Scott of the University of the West Indies examined school responses before, during and after crises, including COVID-19 and hurricanes, and urged fuller emergency plans, closer agency collaboration and policy reforms. Challenges cited include interrupted learning, limited specialised services, technology barriers and psychosocial stress. PIOJ Director General Wayne Henry and Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities executive director Christine Hendricks said the report offers practical, evidence-based guidance.

Jamaican-born, London-based photographer Amber Pinkerton, praised by The New York Times as a “rising photographer inspired by her home country,” is pressing for stronger support for young creatives in Jamaica’s economy. She attended Ardenne High School, moved to London at 19 to study filmmaking, and has worked with brands including Gucci, Nike, Moncler, Burberry and Adidas, photographing figures such as Alek Wek, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Dua Lipa. She said exposure, access and community remain the main hurdles for local artists.

In business, the Bank of Jamaica reported a net loss of $4.6 billion for January 1 to July 8 on total assets of $1.3 trillion, up from $1.2 trillion a year earlier. Foreign assets rose 8.3 per cent to $1 trillion, led by a 14.9 per cent jump in time deposits and other cash resources to $942.9 billion, while demand liabilities climbed 32.3 per cent to $802.9 billion.

The Jamaica Bankers Association will phase out cheques, with members to stop issuing and accepting them by March 1, 2028. From March 1, 2027, the maximum cheque value will be $500,000. From September 1 this year, banks will no longer issue or accept cheques of $1 million or more; holders are urged to deposit those instruments by August 31.

On July 22, TransJamaican Highway led market activity with 6,247,622 units (24.18 per cent of sales), followed by Wigton Energy and Derrimon Trading. Bank of Jamaica data showed the US dollar selling at $159.53 and buying at $157.74, the Canadian dollar at $113.17/$111.62, and the British pound at $213.37/$211.70.

Regionally, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency launched a US$5.3 million capacity programme over 30 months to bolster energy planning, skills and institutions. CDB projects director O’reilly Lewis said governments, regulators and utilities need reliable data and technical advice. CCREEE executive director Dr Muhammad Naji stressed people and institutions over one-off projects. Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados, Brenda White, said the energy transition depends on people as much as infrastructure.

In Trinidad and Tobago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handed over nearly TT$1.5 million in disaster supplies to the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, including eight rescue boats, more than 50,000 sandbags, 600 mattresses, generators, pumps and related gear. Minister Camille Robinson called it a preparedness investment; Elder Don Jones linked the gift to the church’s self-reliance ethos. The ministry said regional stockpiles and accountability rules will govern use.

In sport, Reggae Girls coach Hubert Busby said player availability—not opponents—is the main obstacle before the Central American and Caribbean Games, which fall outside FIFA’s window. European clubs, NWSL teams and NCAA programmes have limited releases, leaving a younger squad. Jamaica opens in Group B against Mexico, Colombia and Puerto Rico. In Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-19 men took cricket bronze, chasing 89 for three after bowling the Leeward Islands out for 88, with captain Brendon Baloo unbeaten on 49.