St. Elizabeth group questions NARA lead on western hurricane rebuild

A St. Elizabeth development group is challenging the government’s decision to put Jamaica’s newest reconstruction agency in charge of rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa in western parishes.

The St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation says it lacks confidence that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARA) is the right body for the task. The organisation argues that the longer-established Urban Development Corporation (UDC) should have received the mandate instead.

Almost a year after the storm, the foundation is questioning the pace and structure of the recovery drive. Following his appointment as NARA’s chief executive officer on June 1, Ambassador Anthony Anderson said he was concentrating on standing up the agency, with work on critical projects expected to begin by year’s end.

Foundation leaders say their concerns go beyond a single parish. They note that Homecoming is rooted in St. Elizabeth while western Jamaica spans several parishes, and that the group had already mapped a three-pillar recovery plan known as the Laurel Declaration — covering people, strategic infrastructure and shelter — after a weekend of talks with community participants.

The organisation says it is ready to sit down with NARA and government officials to air those worries, including how long it is taking for visible work to start. Leadership reports having spoken to people linked to NARA and asking a Black River representative where the authority would be based, only to be told to wait and see. They also pointed to the CEO’s stated plan to spend three months assembling his administration, leaving them with no local presence they can yet engage.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has said the UDC and NARA hold distinct mandates and must not clash or compete with each other.

Kareen Simpson reported the story for TVJ News.