Letter of the Day | Jamaica should adopt a ‘Marshall Plan’
Published:Wednesday | November 19, 2025 | 12:15 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Hurricane Melissa has left Jamaica facing one of the most challenging moments in its modern history. The destruction – estimated at more than US$7 billion – has devastated homes, farms, small businesses, and entire districts. Beyond the numbers, the emotional and economic toll on our people is immense.
In this context, Michael Lee-Chin’s call for Jamaica to adopt a ‘Marshall Plan’ approach deserves national attention. His proposal is not about politics; it is about building back our country in a structured, long-term, and people-centred way.
A Jamaican Marshall Plan would bring together all key stakeholders: the Government, the Opposition, the private sector, diaspora partners, international agencies, churches and community organisations, NGOs, and civil society.
A recovery of this scale requires unified leadership, shared responsibility, and coordinated planning across every parish.
Such a plan should focus first on stabilising basic needs – food, water, temporary housing– and restoring critical infrastructure. It must also support farmers, fisherfolk, and small businesses as they work to rebuild their livelihoods. And beyond short-term recovery, the plan should invest in long-term resilience: stronger building standards, climate-smart agriculture, coastal protection, renewable energy, and modern community infrastructure.
Importantly, a Marshall Plan model requires transparency, public reporting, and clear oversight, so Jamaicans can see where resources are going and how progress is being made.
This is not a moment for fragmented efforts or small fixes. It is a moment for a national framework that guides Jamaica’s recovery over the next five, 10, and even 20 years. A moment for unity, shared purpose, and strategic vision.
We cannot rebuild the Jamaica we lost – we must rebuild the Jamaica we want. Stronger, safer, and better prepared for the future.
A Jamaican Marshall Plan offers that pathway. Let us rise to the challenge – together.
PAUL LYN, JP