Golding says Hurricane Melissa recovery still too slow at Black River town hall

Months after Hurricane Melissa tore through parts of western Jamaica, People’s National Party president and opposition leader Mark Golding has renewed pressure on the government over what he calls a lagging recovery.

Addressing a PNP town hall in Black River, Golding said many residents are still awaiting help that was pledged after the storm. He argued that the official response has moved too slowly, leaving householders, small firms, and whole communities hard-pressed as they try to rebuild.

“We are now 9 months or thereabouts past the hurricane date. And I must say that I am very, very disappointed in the government's response to the plight of the people who are affected by the hurricane,” Golding said.

He criticised housing assistance beyond the roof programme, which he said amounted to less than half of one per cent of GDP and was inadequate. Households that lost their homes entirely, he noted, received only $500,000 as a contribution, and people had to travel long distances to collect it.

Golding also linked limited help for businesses to wider economic strain. He raised separate objections to legislation already passed for an agency expected to manage billions of US dollars in spending, saying it lacks a board and places a single chief executive under a minister who is also the prime minister — a structure he called unsuitable for a statutory body.

On Black River’s future, he insisted any redevelopment, including talk of a new town, must be shaped with residents and local workers, not decided only at Jamaica House.

“We have heard announcements to do with Black River and parity and the building of a new town and so on. You can't be just making decisions in Jamaica house or wherever it is and saying to everybody, this is what it's going to be. There needs to be a structured form of consultation with people to ensure that the people's lives are improved by whatever plan is being executed,” he said.