NARA reconstruction plans lead PBC Jamaica’s June 4 newscast

PBC Jamaica’s June 4 newscast opened with newly appointed National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority Chief Executive Officer Major General (Retired) Anthony Anderson outlining how the agency intends to guide Jamaica’s recovery after Hurricane Melissa. Anderson, who took office on June 1 at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, said NARA’s work should help strengthen resilience, modernise systems and speed up national development.

In an interview with Jamaica Information Service CEO Giovanni Dennis, Anderson said the authority’s success would depend on delivering Cabinet-assigned reconstruction projects at scale, with speed, transparency and efficiency. He said the new body must quickly build its internal structure and introduce automated systems so projects can be tracked and reported in real time. He also said the agency would coordinate with ministries, departments, agencies, local authorities and private-sector partners.

Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith said Jamaican scholarship students in Cuba will receive higher stipends after talks with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. She said early release of funds was arranged because delays at Cuban academic institutions had affected grade-based payments. The Government has also engaged The University of the West Indies, Mona, and the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences about possible spaces for students wishing to continue studies in Jamaica. Students with urgent consular issues were directed to [email protected].

The Jamaica Constabulary Force again urged the public not to abuse the 119 emergency line. Commanding Officer Gary Francis said the centre receives about 5,000 calls daily, with roughly 65 per cent considered prank or nuisance calls. Police also warned parents to monitor children’s phone use during summer and said false reports can bring legal consequences under the Offences Against the Person Act.

In business, Qantas Advantage Inc. closed an oversubscribed IPO, raising $2.4 billion, about $900 million above target. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said 20,000 hotel rooms are planned and other airlines are interested in replacing seats lost after Spirit Airlines ended operations.

Regionally, Trinidad and Tobago won 181 votes for a non-permanent United Nations Security Council seat beginning January 1, 2027. The bulletin also reported on Saint Lucia’s push for climate-resilience investment, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s Student Athlete Summit, and Sri Lanka’s 41-run ODI win over West Indies at Sabina Park.