KINGSTON, Jamaica — As a key faith-based organization holding broad national influence, the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) has joined a growing chorus of voices demanding stricter transparency and accountability measures embedded in the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, a piece of critical emergency legislation currently undergoing debate in the country’s Senate.
The proposed legislation already cleared the House of Representatives last week Wednesday, passing through a tight early-morning vote that split sharply along partisan lines, with every opposition legislator voting against its adoption. Once given final approval by the Senate, the NaRRA Act will formalize the creation of a dedicated central body tasked with leading large-scale recovery and rebuilding efforts across the island in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which left widespread damage in its wake.
In an official public statement released this week, the JCC confirmed it has been closely following the heated national conversation that has emerged around the proposed bill.
“As a collective fellowship of Christian communities dedicated to advancing the moral, spiritual, and social welfare of all Jamaicans, we recognize how critical it is to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to natural disasters, growing climate vulnerability, widespread infrastructure damage, and mass community displacement,” the organization noted in its statement. “Recent destructive events, most notably Hurricane Melissa and a string of other severe weather events over recent years, have made it clear that Jamaica needs a coordinated, robust national framework to deliver reconstruction that lasts.”
Despite acknowledging the urgent need for improved disaster response systems, the JCC argued that the urgency of national crisis should never erode the core democratic principles of accountability, transparency, broad public consultation, and fair justice that undergird the country’s governance.
“Our faith tradition teaches us that rebuilding after a crisis is far more than just a technical engineering or administrative project — it is fundamentally a moral undertaking,” the council explained. “Looking back to the ancient rebuilding narratives recorded in the Book of Nehemiah and the Book of Ezra, reconstruction was paired with intentional public accountability, responsible stewardship of public resources, open consultation with the broader community, and rigorous oversight for those granted governing authority.”
Building on this framing, the JCC is calling on the Jamaican government and sitting senators to revise the bill to embed strong, independent oversight mechanisms, clear transparent procurement and public reporting processes, explicit safeguards against conflicts of interest, structured opportunities for meaningful input from communities directly impacted by disaster, enforceable environmental protections, and equitable safeguards for marginalized and vulnerable citizen groups.
The organization stressed that its intervention is not an attempt to block reconstruction efforts, improve national resilience, or streamline administrative efficiency.
“Instead, we hold that national rebuilding must earn and maintain the public’s trust, and reflect the core ethical values of fairness, responsible resource stewardship, and accountability to all Jamaicans,” the JCC said.
“At this critical moment for our nation, we encourage leaders to continue open national dialogue before giving the bill final approval,” the organization added, pointing out that legislation passed during periods of acute urgency often leaves a lasting impact on Jamaican national life for generations to come.
“That is why it is essential that this legislation secures broad public confidence, and reflects the collective wisdom of the Jamaican people,” the council concluded.