The PNP Patriots are calling on the Government to provide greater transparency and demonstrate value for money in its decision to commit approximately J$576 million over five years to office accommodation for the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) at 14 Ocean Boulevard in downtown Kingston.

NaRRA has confirmed that it entered into a five-year lease at US$725,972 annually, or J$115 million per year at the current exchange rate. Because the lease is denominated in US dollars, the ultimate Jamaican-dollar cost will also be exposed to exchange-rate movements.

The Patriots acknowledge NaRRA’s explanation that the National Land Agency assessed the rental rate as being in line with prevailing market rates and other government leases. NaRRA has also cited the building’s seismic resilience, backup systems and suitability for an agency responsible for coordinating Jamaica’s reconstruction.

However, these explanations do not remove the need for the Government to demonstrate that committing approximately half a billion dollars in public funds to rented office accommodation represents the best available value for taxpayers, particularly at a time when Jamaica faces significant reconstruction, education, and water-infrastructure needs.

The issue is therefore not simply whether the rental rate reflects the commercial market. The more important questions are whether less costly alternatives were properly explored, whether suitable government-owned properties were considered, and whether a comprehensive value-for-money assessment was undertaken before the five-year commitment.

Recovery Requires Clear Priorities

The scale of the expenditure must also be considered against Jamaica’s competing recovery needs. Hurricane Melissa reportedly damaged nearly 700 schools, with more than 300 classified as severely damaged. One year of NaRRA’s rent – approximately J$140 million being spent to rehabilitate Glen Stuart Primary and Infant School.

Before Hurricane Melissa, the Government allocated approximately J$628 million to address termite infestation and other infrastructure problems at 202 schools, an amount comparable to the estimated five-year cost of the NaRRA lease.

Additionally, approximately J$75 million was allocated to 275 schools for canteen repairs, considerably less than a single year of NaRRA’s rent. Jamaica is simultaneously confronting serious challenges within its water infrastructure, including ageing systems and high levels of non-revenue water. Against this backdrop, every major public expenditure must be supported by a clear demonstration of necessity, efficiency and value for money.

Jamaicans Deserve the Full Picture

The PNP Patriots are therefore calling on the Government to answer the following questions:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What government-owned buildings or other lower-cost accommodation options were considered for NaRRA before the private commercial lease was selected?

Was a formal options analysis undertaken comparing the cost of the Digicel Building with government-owned or alternative commercial properties, including any refurbishment costs that would have been required?

What assessment was undertaken of the foreign-exchange exposure created by entering into a five-year US-dollar-denominated lease?

Will the Government publish the full lease agreement, the National Land Agency valuation and the analysis used to determine that this property represents the best value for taxpayers?

What measurable reconstruction outcomes has NaRRA delivered to date, and what proportion of its overall expenditure is being directed toward administration compared with frontline reconstruction activities?

“Jamaicans understand that NaRRA requires appropriate, safe and resilient accommodation to carry out its work. The question is whether the Government can demonstrate that this five-yearcommitment represents the best value for taxpayers at a time when the country faces enormous reconstruction, education and water-infrastructure needs,” said Dr. Paul Blake, President, PNP Patriots.

“Resilience must ultimately be measured by what we rebuild for the Jamaican people, not simply by the building from which reconstruction is administered. If this is the best and most cost-effective option available, the Government should have no difficulty showing Jamaicans the analysis that supports that conclusion.”

The PNP Patriots therefore call on the Government to publish the lease agreement, the National Land Agency valuation, and the options and value-for-money analyses used to select the property.

If the Government cannot demonstrate that this arrangement represents the most cost-effective and operationally appropriate option available, then the decision should be reviewed in the interest of Jamaican taxpayers.