Citing a nearly 18-month wait to secure approval for a fence at Naggo Head Primary School, Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon has argued that Jamaica urgently needs the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) to cut through bureaucratic delays slowing critical projects.

Opening debate on the NaRRA Bill in the Senate on Friday, Morris Dixon rejected claims that the proposed legislation would allow the Government to recklessly override regulatory bodies, insisting instead that the controversial “step-in” powers would only be used as a last resort after several procedural safeguards are exhausted.

The minister said public discussion surrounding Clauses 21 to 24 of the Bill had mischaracterised the powers being granted under the legislation.

“The ministerial direction powers in this Bill are not a blanket override of every regulatory authority in Jamaica,” Morris Dixon told the Senate.

She explained that before a “step-in order” can be used, there must first be independent technical advice, formal notification to the regulatory body involved, an opportunity for that body to respond and a continued failure to act within the required timeline.

To defend the Government’s position, Morris Dixon pointed to delays surrounding approval for a fence at Naggo Head Primary School in Portmore, where concerns had been raised about criminals entering the school compound.

“It’s been a documented problem for years. I’ve spoken to the principal and she begged me to fix the fence. We had the money to fix it in our budget at the Ministry of Education, and in November 2024 we applied to the municipal corporation, asking them to approve this fence, a fence to protect our children,” she explained.

She told senators that approval for the project was eventually granted on April 7, 2026, arguing that the lengthy wait demonstrated the type of delays the Government believes the NaRRA legislation is intended to reduce.

The issue of the delayed fence approval was previously highlighted publicly by Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge, who raised concerns earlier this year about safety risks facing students and staff at the school because of the prolonged delay in securing approval for the more than $40 million perimeter wall project.

Morris Dixon argued that cases like Naggo Head Primary demonstrate why the Government believes extraordinary measures are necessary to accelerate national reconstruction and infrastructure projects.

“NaRRA is not just about creating growth and investment architecture. It is not just about repairing what Hurricane Melissa damaged. NaRRA is about converting a moment of national crisis into a platform for resilience, modernisation, and economic resurgence. That, in truth, is what this is all about. Speed with structure, execution with oversight, and rebuilding with purpose,” she said.

The Bill seeks to establish the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority to coordinate post-disaster rebuilding and resilience projects following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa last October, while also accelerating major infrastructure and investment developments across the country.