NaRRA bill clears House despite pushback from Opposition

The House of Representatives has approved the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, clearing a key hurdle on the way to establishing a central agency to lead Jamaica’s post–Hurricane Melissa recovery.

The legislation now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

The vote came about 1:33 a.m. Wednesday after a lengthy debate and clause-by-clause consideration of the legislation.

More than 20 amendments were debated, with Opposition members ultimately rejecting the bill and calling for a division, a procedure that records the individual vote of each member.

When the votes were taken, the Government secured passage of the bill with 31 yes votes to 15 no votes. Some 16 lawmakers were absent.

The Opposition argued that the legislation remains weak on oversight and concentrates too much authority in the executive structure being created.

Despite the Opposition’s objections, none of its substantive proposed amendments were accepted. However, the Government successfully moved a series of its own amendments, which it said were aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency within the proposed authority.

These include provisions requiring NaRRA to conduct periodic consultations with residents and stakeholders directly affected by reconstruction projects, mandating the CEO to submit reports to the responsible minister every six months, and requiring those reports to be tabled in Parliament.

Additional safeguards were also inserted to address conflicts of interest, particularly involving the CEO and senior staff, amid concerns raised during the debate about governance and procurement oversight.

The bill’s passage brought to a close a tense and at times disorderly sitting of the House, which began shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

The bill was introduced by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness bit piloted through the closing phases by Works Minister Robert Morgan.

Earlier in the sitting, proceedings were disrupted following an incident involving the parliamentary mace, which led Speaker Juliet Holness to move to suspend Opposition MP Angela Brown-Burke for the remainder of the proceedings. Government members supported the motion.

The NaRRA Bill has been the subject of intense public and political scrutiny since its introduction, with the Opposition repeatedly warning that it grants sweeping powers without sufficient checks and balances. An initial version of the bill was withdrawn.

Government members, however, have defended the measure as essential to speeding up reconstruction and improving coordination in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.

More than 28 civil society groups and governance advocates had also called for broader consultation and stronger safeguards prior to passage, warning that efficiency in recovery efforts must not come at the expense of accountability.

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