Civil society groups want broad consultation on NaRRA Bill

Twenty-eight civil society groups and individuals are calling for immediate convening of a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, which seeks to establish the agency that will lead Jamaica’s post-hurricane recovery.

In a statement today, the groups criticised what they described as the limited scope of consultations on the bill currently before Parliament, and pointed to growing unease among multiple stakeholders.

There has been public backlash about NaRRA’s governance structure and concentration of executive authority.

The groups and individuals, which include Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), Groots Jamaica, National Integrity Action and Carol Narcisse, argued that despite concerns about the bill in the public domain, there has been little indication from the parliamentary debate that they are being substantively engaged.

“The tone of the debate thus far appears more focused on defending the bill than on constructively addressing legitimate critique and alternative proposals,” the statement noted.

On Sunday, the ruling Jamaica Labour Party announced that its Area Council 3 has endorsed the proposed bill, following a presentation from Minister with responsibility for Works, Robert Morgan.

He reportedly argued that the legislation would strengthen Jamaica’s ability to coordinate reconstruction, improve resilience, and accelerate the delivery of critical national projects, particularly in the wake of major disasters such as Hurricane Melissa.

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Delano Seiveright has also defended the bill, contending that its enactment is a moment of national urgency.

“There is no issue with criticism. Debate is essential in any democracy. Scrutiny makes legislation better. But we must guard against a familiar risk: endless debate that leads to watered-down and useless bureaucracy and, even worse, inaction,” he said in a Sunday Gleaner op-ed.

However, the civil society groups maintained that while they recognise the urgency of advancing legislation to support post-Hurricane Melissa reconstruction and long-term national resilience, “expediency must not come at the expense of good governance.”

They insist that written submissions from all relevant stakeholder groups should be accepted within the next two weeks, followed by structured discussions over one to two days to fully interrogate the issues raised.

Should the Government not facilitate such a process, then the groups said they support the establishment of a Joint Select Committee, as recommended by the Leader of the Opposition.

“This committee must be strictly time-bound, with deliberations and recommendations completed within six weeks.”

The statement noted JFJ and JET had formally submitted detailed concerns and recommendations to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Leader of the Opposition on March 30, 2026. However, no response has been received from the OPM to date, “leaving uncertainty as to whether these submissions are being meaningfully considered in the parliamentary process”.

They outlined that the joint submission highlighted several critical concerns with the bill in its current form, including the highly centralised, CEO-driven structure with insufficient independent oversight; weak provisions for transparency, accountability, and public participation; the absence of a clearly defined governing board with delineated responsibilities; and inadequate safeguards to ensure long-term resilience, environmental protection, and public trust.

“We remain committed to engaging constructively with all stakeholders to ensure that the final legislation reflects the best interests of the Jamaican people, upholds constitutional principles, safeguards the environment, and supports inclusive and sustainable national resilience,” the statement said.

- Sashana Small

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