The Companies Office of Jamaica will be rolling out sweeping fee cuts for businesses across seven hurricane-hit parishes, including a 50 per cent reduction of incorporation fees for charities formed to support relief efforts, Senator Aubyn Hill announced in the Upper House on Friday.

Hill, the minister of industry, investment and commerce, said the measures were designed to help small operators reopen quickly after Hurricane Melissa disrupted commerce, cut power supplies and left shops without customers across western and southern Jamaica.

“The Companies Office of Jamaica has proposed a series of targeted fee reductions to support financial and economic relief across seven of the most affected parishes…First, an extension of the current late fee waiver for entities in these parishes, running from October 27, 2025 to October 31, 2026, and the next step is to implement the waiver for all affected accounts and update the system to reflect the new timeline. That’s a major issue with businesses, and I’m very happy that this is being implemented,” he announced.

Hill added that a 50 per cent cut in the cost of incorporation will be provided for charities registered to support hurricane recovery, noting that many community groups rely on donations in the aftermath of natural disasters. He added that this reduction would last for a four-month period from December 1 to the end of March, noting that once the approval is finalised, the official fee structure will be updated to reflect the change.

He also explained that the agency is also seeking to lower the fees charged for letters of good standing, pointing out that many business owners in the hardest-hit parishes have lost documents and now need proof of their status to restart operations.

He said the reduced cost would apply specifically between December 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, while a separate reduction for certified copies is being proposed from December 1, 2025 until October 31, 2026. In both cases, he said, the adjustments would take effect once approval is granted and the fee schedule is updated.

“We’re gonna have the companies office operate pop-up mobile services across various parishes between December 1 and March 31, 2026 to improve access and speed of service delivery,” he also said.

The announcement formed part of Hill’s broader update on post-disaster reconstruction and business recovery, which has included generator installations, assessments and support for shop owners. He revealed that 1,293 businesses were assessed between November 10 and December 1 despite major setbacks.

“I want to stop here and let you understand what that means. Sometimes we didn’t have roads; roads had to be cleared and moved. We certainly, in the first few days, didn’t have connectivity. Yes, Starlink got out and got us some and then, of course, Digicel and Flow were two of the 100 businesses that we met with in that first meeting on the 31st and they were committed to get back up… So when I say that we visited 1,293, it wasn’t an easy task, but we had to get out there and get it done,” he explained.

Opposition Senator Kisha Anderson, who is also deputy spokeswoman on trade, industry, and global logistics, welcomed the relief measures, but urged the Government to go further, particularly for micro and small businesses that drive local economies.

“They’re not abstract economic units. They’re hairdressers, they’re shopkeepers, they’re dressmakers, they’re farmers, they are power operators, or craft vendors and small suppliers who keep communities functioning, and when they fail…the entire local economies fail with them,” she argued.

“For thousands of Jamaicans in that part of the island, recovery is no longer a phase, it is almost like a cycle, with families losing their homes, income, and the very tools they need to rebuild their lives. It’s not looking like a bright Christmas, and unless we take some deliberate and conscious action, 2026 is not going to be very bright for them either,” she said.

She pressed for wider consultation and a more structured recovery plan, calling for a national task force that includes Government, Opposition, the private sector, civil society, and representatives from the affected micro and small enterprises.

Anderson also questioned whether fees should be waived entirely for the next year, rather than simply reduced, adding that many formal and informal operators “normally have less than two weeks of cash reserves” and would struggle to absorb extra costs at a time of widespread loss.