KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has pushed back firmly against talk that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill lacks oversight and accountability.

The Bill, which is currently being debated in the Senate, will give legal authority to the NaRRA, the body set up by the Government to lead reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa which caused US$12.2 billion in damage when it slammed into southwestern parishes last October.

Fitz-Henley acknowledged the argument being proffered that there are not enough mechanisms for accountability available to govern NaRRA.

“I reject this argument as unfounded,” he stated.

Fitz-Henley outlined that NaRRA’s accountability mechanisms include but are not limited to:

— Being subject to the jurisdiction of the Auditor General, which will be able to, at any time, conduct an assessment of its activities;

— NaRRA’s activities, including expenditure, are subject to oversight of committees including the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and the Public Appropriations and Administration Committee;

— NaRRA is mandated to keep proper accounts in keeping with the standards of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica and is to submit annual financial accounts to the minister who is duty-bound to cause the annual financials to be tabled in Parliament;

— NaRRA is subject to a yearly internal audit to be conducted by a certified auditor who is to be a registered public accountant further to Section 2 of the Public Accountancy Act;

— The entity is mandated to submit to the minister a corporate plan with estimates of revenue and expenditure;

— NaRRA is duty bound to keep a register of initiatives with pertinent details. The register is to be gazetted and open for assessment by any member of the public; and

— The Government has also established the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMRROC) which is an independent body that will give oversight to NaRRA.

Fitz-Henley compared the oversight mechanisms in the NaRRA to those that he said were in place at the time the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR) was set up after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 by the then People’s National Party (PNP) Government.

“I want Parliament to note that beyond the assistance of an auditor from the private sector, some of these guard rails and oversight mechanisms were not in place when after Hurricane Ivan hit Jamaica, the PNP administration appointed an Office of National Reconstruction which expended billions of dollars and had a CEO (chief executive officer) who was also its chairman, and answered to the then prime minister of Jamaica, Pervical Patterson.

“And that comment is not to question the work of the ONR but to put in context some of the current arguments about oversight,” said Fitz-Henley.

The Government senator also said he has heard the argument that NaRRA could create a platform for corruption, noting that “some well-thinking Jamaicans may genuinely have this concern”.

“To them I say, we hear the concern and we are not dismissive.”

Fitz-Henley stated that there is no system, no law across the globe where there is absolutely no possibility of abuse of access.

“However, that is why we have systems of checks and balances in place. And we have outlined several as it pertains to NaRRA.

“And also that is why we have anti-corruption institutions which this administration has supported by way of funding and also supported by way of legislation, in either passing them into law or making the laws stronger,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the PNP, Fitz-Henley added that, “Careful analysis of our political history will disclose that when allegations supported by evidence of malfeasance arise, this administration led by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has taken swift and decisive action.”

He pointed out that Jamaica has had its best anti-corruption score as far as the assessment of international agencies are concerned under the Jamaica Labour Party administration.

— Lynford Simpson