OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Jamaica is currently in a better financial position than it was 10 years ago to handle damage from natural disasters, according to Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

He said his Administration has focused on dedicating additional resources to the country’s emergency response and the money now available to cope with disasters exceeds $550 million.

“We never had that capability 10 years ago; if a disaster struck we would have to borrow. That’s a major difference, Jamaica in this decade is far superior to Jamaica in the last three, four, five decades,” Holness said on Wednesday during the annual National Disaster Risk Management Council Meeting. It was held at Sandals Ochi Resort in St Ann.

The prime minister said the economy has improved significantly and Jamaicans should feel more confident about the country’s future.

“This is a massive change in who we are as a people and our institutions as a country. That is fundamental to long-term programmes and sustainability. We can recover more swiftly after a disaster strikes. When disaster struck in previous times we weren’t able to respond in any significant way,” he added.

“I’m not saying we’re in a perfect position but every year we’re getting stronger in terms of the resources we are able to put aside. We must be able to recover months after the disaster occurs,” Holness urged.

Disaster preparedness and mitigation measures are being implemented in preparation for what is expected to be an above average hurricane season and the prime minister stressed the importance of being ready.

“We have to be prepared; thankfully, we have a law that mandates us to be in a position of readiness. That law mandates that all the stakeholders and leaders of disaster response and readiness take the responsibility of the nation seriously,” he said.

”The average citizen must also know they have a role to play in disaster preparedness,” Holness added.

In addition to drain cleaning projects and cutting of trees that are considered hazardous, the Government has also invested heavily in a communication system.

“One of the new features that the Government has introduced is the JICO programme. Some $2 billion has been spent working with the Japanese government to put in one of the most modern communication systems, a first in the Caribbean. Every arm of government will be able to communicate before and after a disaster. This is a game changer,” Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie said during Wednesday’s event.

He said fire stations across the island have also been equipped with resources needed to assess the stability of buildings in time for the hurricane season.

“We are in the top five most vulnerable countries in the world. So we have to take personal responsibility as a country and as a people. We have made improvements to the Jamaica Fire Brigade by giving them the requisite tools to do proper assessments of buildings that is necessary,”” McKenzie added

The hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 could an active one with 17 to 25 named storms, eight to 13 hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes of category three or higher expected.

“I urge Jamaicans to take personal responsibility in our preparedness for disaster. The Government is already doing all that is necessary. This Administration has put the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management in a strong financial position to put in the necessary infrastructure for the organisation to work effectively and we have put in place a new board of management to ensure that the organisation is in a position to execute well,” said McKenzie.