House of Representatives Passes NaRRA Act

• The House of Representatives passed the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Act. The NaRRA Act will serve as the central coordinating authority for post-hurricane reconstruction, designed to eliminate bureaucracy, fragmentation, and project delays.
• It will also function as a centre of technical excellence for project preparation and delivery, ensuring that the quality of national plans matches the scale of the country’s ambitions.
• Closing the debate on the Bill, Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addressed the Opposition’s suggestion to refer the legislation to a Joint Select Committee of Parliament. “We on this (Government) side, we have taken a decision that, as far as possible, we’re bringing all our Bills to a Joint Select Committee. That’s a decision that we took after the experience with the NIDS (National Identification System), subject, of course, to emergency situations or great urgency. I have heard the undertaking that there would be a commitment on the side of the Opposition to have the Joint Select Committee turned around very quickly,” Dr. Holness said.
• The Prime Minister reiterated that NaRRA’s functions will be clearly defined and that the entity will operate within a fixed timeframe. It will also be vested with special powers to fast-track development approvals and procurement, enabling the execution of resilient infrastructure projects at a scale and speed unprecedented in Jamaica. Following its passage in the Lower House, the legislation will now proceed to the Senate for approval.
• The House’s passage of the NaRRA Act is set to dramatically accelerate Jamaica’s post-hurricane rebuilding efforts. Operating as a centralised, temporary authority equipped with special powers to expedite procurement and development approvals, NaRRA is designed to cut through traditional bureaucratic red tape and project fragmentation

(Sources: JIS & NCBCM Research)