In his latest series of posts on social media platforms regarding the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), Opposition Leader Mark Golding asked a question that reveals a fundamental, dangerous misunderstanding of modern disaster risk management: “Why is NaRRA about legacy projects and not Hurricane Melissa recovery?”

NaRRA is about both. But, more importantly, NaRRA is ensuring that Jamaica never has to suffer an approximately $2-trillion hit to its economy ever again.

Golding’s criticism attempts to reduce the visionary, multi-generational resilience framework into a short-sighted exercise in patch-and-repair politics. When the Opposition leader suggests that NaRRA focuses strictly on replacing exactly what Hurricane Melissa destroyed, he is advocating for the failed policies of the past; policies that would leave Jamaican families exposed to the next massive hurricane or disaster.

The international best practices documented by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) dictate recovery cannot merely be about returning to status quo vulnerability. It must be about “Building Back Better”. I can say without fear of contradiction that rebuilding is not enough. The expert studies agree with the decisions being taken by this Government to build back better and more resilient across the length and breadth of Jamaica. It is the right thing to do, and now is the right time to do so.

When Hurricane Melissa wiped out 56.7 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP) it didn’t just expose weak roofs; it exposed structural vulnerabilities in our critical national infrastructure. When a storm knocks out our health-care systems, cuts off our primary economic corridors, and paralyses public utilities, the solution cannot just be a localised tarp-and-plywood handout. The solution must be systemic and holistic in its approach.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding

I am disappointed but not surprised that the Opposition leader scoffed at the inclusion of four new hospitals within the NaRRA framework, calling them irrelevant “legacy projects”. A hospital built to modern, climate-resilient engineering standards is not a vanity project. It is a lifeline.

These are not imaginary wish-list concepts; they are concrete, strategic expansions that will deliver 1,370 beds across our health regions to ensure equity of access. If our health-care infrastructure fails during a Category 5 storm, Jamaicans die. By more than doubling the existing bed capacity of our rural facilities we are ensuring our health-care system remains fully operational during national emergencies when our citizens need it most. No matter where the next storm hits.

Just this week, I announced that the Cabinet approved a critical US$56-million comprehensive shoreline protection project to be executed under the NaRRA work programme. This project will fortify 14.2 kilometres along the Palisadoes peninsula and Port Royal shorelines. It will protect the Norman Manley International Airport, secure the critical road linking Harbour View to Port Royal, and insulate nearby communities from coastal erosion and catastrophic storm surges.

The Kingston Harbour borders some US$1.35 billion in assets and infrastructure. This includes recent upgrades and investments made in the Norman Manley International Airport. To have the resources and the capacity to fortify these resources and not do so guided by the rhetoric posited by Golding would be beyond irresponsible, and perhaps foolish. I therefore do not believe that the Opposition leader believes the things that he says publicly.

Building back stronger isn’t an alternative to economic growth; it is the absolute prerequisite for it. Without a resilient foundation, any economic gains we make will simply be washed away by the next hurricane season.

This current criticism of “Build Back Better” projects is deeply familiar. It reminds me of the strident criticism the parliamentary Opposition levelled against the Government’s US$150-million bridge loan to the Jamaica Public Service (JPS). When we stepped in to fast-track the grid recovery, the Opposition cried foul, demanded endless delays, and sowed doubt regarding public funds. The Opposition leader was wrong then, and he is wrong now. Rather than waiting for full power restoration in 2027, the Government’s decisive loan allowed JPS to rapidly mobilise more than 300 additional overseas line workers and hundreds of specialised vehicles. JPS utilised the loan strictly under the tight parameters outlined and aggressively met its targets, successfully crossing 99 per cent restoration target islandwide in record time.

Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications Daryl Vaz addressing the post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday. (Photo: JIS)

This bold intervention is precisely what successfully rebooted the economy of western Jamaica, particularly in hard-hit parishes like Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, and St James. What the Opposition decried as a risk turned out to be the wisest, most impactful economic decision this Government made during the immediate crisis.

To address concerns regarding the immediacy of relief: The Government has never abandoned the immediate needs of our citizens. The $10-billion Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme is actively delivering targeted relief to the most vulnerable. While we plan for the long term, we are completing immediate repairs on the ground, such as the rebuilt surgical wards at Black River Hospital opening this month and the new Accident & Emergency Department at Cornwall Regional Hospital.

I am proud to be a part of a responsible Government that does not operate with tunnel vision. We must walk and chew gum at the same time. We are providing immediate shelter relief today while simultaneously legislating the macroeconomic and physical shields that will protect Jamaica tomorrow.

The conceptualising of NaRRA and its terms of reference is the very reason we are having these discussions, and input is always welcomed. We cannot afford to play cheap politics with climate change. Hurricane Melissa was a stark warning that the old ways of doing things are obsolete. The NaRRA Bill represents a bold, necessary evolution in how Jamaica protects its people.

Golding would prefer we patch the old Jamaica and wait for the next storm to tear it down. This Administration chooses to build a new, unbreakable Jamaica. That is not a distraction from recovery; that is recovery and most importantly rebuilding resilient.

Daryl Vaz is minister of energy, transport, and telecommunications.