ST MARY, Jamaica – People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for St Mary South East, Christopher Brown is calling for a full and transparent investigation into the Annotto Bay Coastal Protection Project following what he said were new photographic evidence of continued erosion along the shoreline, just weeks after the official handover of the $244 million project.

According to Brown, despite public declarations of success by the Government, including Prime Minister Andrew Holness and officials from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), recent site visits and photos shared by residents show no meaningful mitigation has occurred along the affected coastline near the Annotto Bay Fire Station. He said large sections of the shoreline continue to collapse, with no visible signs of groyne installation, shoreline stabilisation, or material accumulation, contrary to official claims.

“The residents are not fools. They can see what’s happening, and what’s not,” said Brown in a news release on Wednesday. “What was paraded as a milestone of resilience now looks like a mirage of progress. We need answers, not ribbon-cuttings.”

Brown previously raised concerns about the project’s transparency and execution in a May 2025 statement, where he called on the auditor general and the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) to probe the scope, cost, and verifiable outcomes of the project. These recent developments only deepen the urgency for immediate action, he said.

“We are now in the heart of hurricane season. It is not just disappointing, it’s shameful, that after spending $244 million, the residents of Annotto Bay remain exposed to the full force of a major storm system,” Brown stated. “If a storm hits today, the community won’t benefit from a single inch of meaningful protection.”

According to the PNP caretaker. the Annotto Bay project was intended to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels and storm surge through coastal defenses, including groynes meant to trap sand and buffer wave action. But residents on the ground are seeing the opposite: accelerated erosion, a shrinking shoreline, and no trace of protective infrastructure.

“If $244 million was truly spent, we need to see the plans, the contractors’ deliverables, and the verification of work done,” Brown added. “If it’s not in the water, where did it go?”

The project, financed through a World Bank loan and implemented by JSIF with oversight from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the National Works Agency (NWA), was intended to protect critical infrastructure and community livelihoods from climate change-driven coastal damage.

“If $244 million was truly spent, we need to see the plans, the contractors’ deliverables, and the verification of work done,” Brown added. “If it’s not in the water, where did it go?”

He said local residents have expressed frustration, noting that the condition of the beach has worsened and now poses an even greater risk to nearby roads and facilities, including the Annotto Bay Fire Station and other community assets.

Brown said he is formally requesting that a public release of the full project scope and work plan, an independent audit of the funds disbursed, site verification reports from the NWA and JSIF, along with photographic documentation of completed work and a community forum to engage residents in reviewing project impact and next steps.

“Resilience is more than a press release. It’s about delivering real protection for real people. We will not let this issue be buried by bureaucracy,” Brown said.