KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a recent address to the country’s House of Representatives during the annual Sectoral Debate last week, Robert Montague, Jamaica’s Minister of Land and Settlements, has pushed back against widespread public criticism of the government’s management of Hurricane Melissa disaster relief donations, arguing that the Auditor General’s independent report vindicates the Prime Minister’s earlier decision to launch the audit.
The controversy ignited after a real-time audit tabled in Parliament on May 12 revealed a stark gap in fund disbursement: by February 23, 2026, Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) had only spent $26.2 million of the $1.44 billion in donated relief funds collected for survivors of Hurricane Melissa — a mere 1.8% of the total pledged. The catastrophic storm left thousands displaced, destroyed critical agricultural infrastructure, and triggered prolonged shortages of food and basic public services across hard-hit regions of the island.
Speaking during his scheduled policy presentation on June 9, Montague pushed back against claims of mismanagement, emphasizing that the audit never raised red flags over missing or misappropriated funds. He acknowledged that disbursement has progressed slower than initially projected, attributing the delay to untested new protocols and the unprecedented scale of the disaster that left Jamaican officials navigating uncharted operational territory.
Crucially, Montague stressed that every dollar of donations from Jamaican citizens, international partners, foreign donors, private companies, and aid agencies has been fully accounted for, a outcome he says reflects well on the country’s governance. “This is a proud moment in our journey as a young nation,” Montague told lawmakers. “Even in the wake of the most devastating weather event we have faced in recent memory, we can stand tall and confirm that no irregularities have been found in the management of these public donations.”
Montague went on to praise the Prime Minister directly, saying the audit’s findings confirm the wisdom of the leadership’s decision to support the transparent review. The minister added that beyond clearing the government of wrongdoing, the audit also identified structural gaps and procedural weaknesses in disaster relief fund management — changes the Prime Minister has already moved to implement, per Montague.
Montague framed the report as a watershed moment for public accountability across all Jamaican institutions, noting that the audit’s transparency sets a standard not just for government agencies, but for the private charities and non-governmental organizations that also received disaster relief funds. He called on all entities that accepted donations to publish full breakdowns of how much they have received, spent, and still hold, as well as clear plans for remaining funds, arguing that accountability is a shared responsibility for all groups working in the public interest. “The report is good for Jamaica,” Montague insisted. “It proves that the government can account for money donated to help its people, and it lights the path for all other organizations to follow.”