Fabian Blake

COMMENTARY: Still business as usual, PM? The revelation is staggering! Jamaica's Information Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon says Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM learned "after the fact" about the controversial J$115 million a year rent for the downtown Kingston waterfront office space for the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA). It means that someone, somewhere committed Jamaica to half a billion dollars over five years to rent office spaces to direct reconstruction after Hurricane Melissa without the responsible minister having a say. And this is against the backdrop of a governance structure that does not provide for a traditional board of directors to oversee NaRRA. That the NaRRA lease was not required to go through public procurement or Cabinet approval means the ultimate overseer was the responsible minister, who happens to be the Prime Minister. This development is yet the most glaring example why the government can no longer scoff at calls for a proper, lawful oversight body. To its credit, following public outrage over the high rental cost, the government announced that it would scale back NaRRA's office space from two floors to one, which would potentially slash the rental amount by up to half. However, the Government says the downsizing will slow the rollout of reconstruction projects. That is a whole other story for another time. But in the meantime, what will now change in relation to the decision-making processes for NaRRA? In the absence of a board, it cannot be business as usual for the "responsible minister". With so much on his plate, the Prime Minister still has space for a slice of humble pie to correct this deficiency.