KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is calling for a more robust and transparent system to track the distribution of government-issued hurricane relief supplies, following an announcement from Minister of Information Dr Dana Morris Dixon that such a system will soon be implemented in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

While welcoming the move toward better monitoring, the Opposition says the minister’s statement fails to address growing public concern over reports of politically partisan handling of relief efforts.

According to the PNP, government operatives, former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates, and unelected political figures have allegedly been involved in distributing state resources without proper authority.

The PNP argues that individuals who are not Members of Parliament for affected constituencies and who hold no official role in ministries responsible for relief distribution should not be delivering aid. The party describes these actions as a breach of good governance principles that undermines public trust during a period when Jamaicans are vulnerable and relying on fairness and order.

The Opposition further insists that state resources must not be distributed by political actors without notifying the elected representatives for those areas. They contend that a credible tracking system must include detailed information to ensure accountability, such as: Who exactly delivered the relief supplies?, When supplies were dispatched, including exact dates and times? Where and when deliveries occurred, names of team members involved in distribution, recipients of the supplies, including shelters, community groups, churches, and households and proof that the sitting Member of Parliament was informed.

The PNP says the Government must demonstrate that every step of the relief distribution process can be transparently verified.

“Jamaicans deserve more than vague assurances,” the Opposition said, stressing the need for full accountability. They warned that after-the-fact reporting or selective disclosures would not be sufficient, nor would systems that obscure potential political misuse of state resources.

“Hurricane relief belongs to the people of Jamaica, not to any political party or its operatives,” the statement concluded.

The Opposition maintains that with the right data collected, a tracking system could help answer persistent questions and restore public confidence in the distribution process.