KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Member of Parliament representing Manchester Southern, Peter Bunting, has launched a scathing attack on the proposed National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, warning that it strips away key safeguards and concentrates sweeping powers within the executive.

However, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Delano Seiveright, strongly defended the legislation, arguing that it provides the structure and urgency required to rebuild the country in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

The bill, tabled in response to the widespread devastation caused by the Category 5 storm, seeks to establish a central authority to coordinate and fast-track reconstruction efforts across Jamaica.

But Bunting, giving his contribution to the debate on the bill on Tuesday, cautioned that the proposed framework risks undermining accountability in the management of billions of dollars in public funds.

He argued that while the scale of the disaster demands decisive action, the legislation as drafted fails to provide adequate checks and balances.

“It is a blank check without guardrails. This legislation creates an authority with sweeping powers over billions of dollars in reconstruction expenditure, yet strips away the very safeguards that protect public funds. The authorities have power to procure goods, works, and services directly. It can enter into any transaction it deems necessary, and it is funded by unlimited parliamentary appropriations and other inflows. This is not reconstruction governance, this is a fiscal free-for-all,” he said.

Bunting also raised concerns about the concentration of authority within the executive, suggesting that the proposed structure weakens institutional independence and oversight.

“The prime minister is controlling everything [and] the architecture of this authority is not independent. It is subordinate to the executive. The CEO is appointed by the prime minister, the prime minister can issue binding directions, and the CEO must comply and the cabinet alone determines which projects are approved and which are strategic,” he argued.

He further warned that provisions allowing the authority to override regulatory bodies could erode the role of established institutions, describing the framework as a significant shift in how Jamaica governs public expenditure in times of crisis.

“This bill sets a dangerous precedent. It is not merely about reconstruction. It is about how Jamaica governs large-scale public expenditure in times of crisis. And what it proposes is deeply troubling,” he said.

“We all want Jamaica rebuilt, quickly, efficiently and resiliently. But we must not rebuild Jamaica on a foundation of weakened democracy and compromised accountability, because if we do so, we may rebuild the roads, we may rebuild the bridges, but we will have undermined the very institutions that hold this country together. I therefore urge this House to reject this bill in its current form or to amend it fundamentally to restore transparency, accountability and proper Westminster-style governance,” Bunting warned.

However Seiveright, speaking in support of the bill, rejected those criticisms, insisting that the legislation is both necessary and carefully structured to deliver results.

He pointed to the unprecedented scale of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa and argued that traditional systems have proven too slow and fragmented to respond effectively.

He maintained that the bill introduces a central coordinating mechanism designed to eliminate inefficiencies and ensure the timely execution of reconstruction projects.

“At the heart of this bill, clause four, this is where the criticism begins and where it should end because clause four does something very simple, it creates a single central coordinating authority to plan, prioritise, implement and track national reconstruction. That is not dangerous, that is necessary and as the proverb reminds us, too many cooks spoil the broth. Fragmentation is the enemy of recovery, and this bill is designed to eliminate fragmentation,” he said.

He also pushed back against claims that the legislation lacks oversight, arguing that accountability measures are embedded within the framework, including auditing requirements, parliamentary reporting and public transparency provisions.

“Let us strip the debate down to the truth. This is not unchecked power. It is structured under cabinet, ministerial and parliamentary reporting. This is not weak governance, it is planning, it is monitoring, and it is resilience, all mandated,” he said.