Government scales back NaRRA office space after public backlash

Mounting backlash over expensive office space has forced the Government to revise the amount of money that will be spent to house the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA).

NaRRA reported on Monday that it had signed a five-year lease to be housed in the Digicel building in downtown Kingston at an annual cost of J$120 million.

The move provoked widespread protests across Jamaica, with critics arguing the money should be used to help those still recovering nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa.

Questions were also raised as to why the State agency would take up space in a private building instead of a rent-free government office.

Speaking at Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Information Minister Dr Dana Morris-Dixon said the Government has heard the concerns and has adjusted its plans as it regards establishing the agency and the space it needs to function.

“Given the concerns raised, and as I noted, as a government, we listen to the views of the people of Jamaica, that is our responsibility, and we do listen, so given those concerns raised and the sentiments that have been expressed, the government has decided to stage the rollout of NaRRA, which means going slower, meaning using less space. And so it means that we will see a revision to the space requirements in the short term. So where they would have needed a particular square footage, we will start with significantly less so that the costs are reduced. This means that we'll have reduced initial capital outlay, having heard the concerns of Jamaicans,” Morris-Dixon said.

Responding to questions from The Gleaner, Morris-Dixon revealed that the “scale back” will cut the budgetary requirements for NaRRA.

“Yes. So right now, we're obviously looking at all the considerations. Having listened to the sentiments of Jamaicans, there would have been meetings between yesterday and this morning in terms of how to move forward. So the plan is, wherever NaRRA is, it will be using less space. Right now, it's looking like it will still be in that same building, but scaling down the scope and the size of space that will be used. But we'll get you more information as the final decision is made. We're looking at probably up to a half,” revealed Morris-Dixon.

The Information Minister also sought to explain the rationale behind choosing the Digicel building to house the NaRRA offices:

“The head of NaRRA, Ambassador Major General Tony Anderson, has explained the considerations for the decision to select the Digicel building. He has noted that there are certain considerations that had to be met. The first one was resilience and functionality. So he was able to verify that the building was earthquake and hurricane tolerant. That was very important, that an entity that is involved in the rebuilding effort had to be able to withstand any kind of natural disaster. The second consideration was in relation to it being accessible in a central location, functional, utilitarian, meaning not overly fancy, no overly fancy building. And so the building in question is designed for the operations of a utility service provider, which requires significant uptimes above 90%, and has to be suited for post-disaster continuity,” she said.

Morris-Dixon also insisted that the rental costs reflect market conditions.

“The rental cost is commensurate with market realities, and I should note here that in government, all rental agreements, lease agreements have to be reviewed by the National Land Agency, and they have to be approved. They are checked against prevailing rates in the market to ensure that that ministry or agency is not overpaying in relation to its rental rates. And that was done in this case, and there was sign-off from the NLA that this was consistent with market. But it also speaks to a shortage of buildings of the type that the team would have been looking for,” Morris-Dixon explained.

- Karen Madden

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