KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government of Jamaica has initiated the swift distribution of funds to residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Beryl. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has directed the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to ensure that the financial assistance reaches affected Jamaicans as promptly as possible.
Prime Minister Holness revealed these measures during a ceremony at the Ministry’s head office in Kingston on Monday. He emphasized the urgency and importance of the task and appealed to ministry staff to prioritize aid delivery with compassion and empathy.
“I appeal to staffers at the ministry, to your better conscience, to your love of country, to put in the effort to ensure that your fellow Jamaicans, many of whom have no bed, have no clothes, have nowhere to live, their children don’t know how they’re going to go back to school, be prepared to show compassion and to put in the effort, show empathy for the people who are suffering, push through and deliver these benefits to them as quickly as possible,” Holness urged.
Holness highlighted that since Hurricane Beryl struck Jamaica on July 3, concerted efforts have been made to expedite recovery processes. By July 9, he informed Parliament of the Government’s emergency assistance plan, which includes $1 billion allocated for house rebuilding and repair.
Holness contrasted these prompt actions with the 2004 Hurricane Ivan response, when it took over a month for the then administration to announce any form of aid. “When Hurricane Ivan hit, the then Government after one month announced assistance of $20,000 for severe or total damage and $7,000 for severe damage and $5,000 for minor damage,” he noted. “Today, I’m pleased to attend this event where we are way beyond the announcement phase and are beginning the process of distributing $400,000 to assist people in the recovery from the total loss of their homes.”
Besides the $400,000 for total loss, Holness reiterated that $150,000 would be directed to those with severe housing damage, and $50,000 to those with minor damage. Importantly, these funds are drawn entirely from the Government’s budget.
When considering inflation, the Prime Minister pointed out that the current allocations are significantly more generous than those provided after Hurricane Ivan. He stressed that this rapid response was facilitated by prudent fiscal management and efficient administrative procedures, ensuring both accountability and transparency.
Reflecting on past efforts, Holness underscored the remarkable progress made in fiscal management. “When we were hit by Ivan, we had to rely on $3.3 billion of grants, most of it would have come from the European Union along with from our American and Canadian partners. Today, by virtue of the positive change in our fiscal management and fiscal arrangements, we have put in place buffers and insurance for which we can draw down for the immediate response.”
These improvements have enabled the Government to independently allocate $5 billion in immediate response funds, supplemented by additional insurance resources.
During his address, Holness cited a 2004 article from the Jamaica Information Service, referencing then Labour Minister, the late Donald Buchanan’s comments on the transparency of the cheque disbursement system compared to vouchers. Buchanan had argued that although vouchers were perceived as corruption-proof, they had previously been subject to misuse. Therefore, direct cheque payments were considered more effective and flexible for beneficiaries.
“We have therefore decided to pay these assistance grants with cheques, which will be cashed by the beneficiaries, and which will give them the flexibility to make optimum use of the funds in the present circumstances,” Buchanan had commented.
With these measures in place, the Jamaican Government underscores its commitment to rapid and transparent disaster recovery, providing crucial support to its citizens in their time of need.
