Gov’t scales back on NaRRA office

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government has moved to scale back the amount it will spend to lease the new headquarters of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) at the Digicel Building, at 14 Ocean Boulevard, downtown Kingston. This decision comes after much public backlash following the Government's announcement that it signed a five-year lease with a valuation of US$26.00 per square foot for a total annual cost of US$725,972. Information Minister Senator Dana Morris Dixon made the announcement during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday. "Given the 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, which means we will see a revision to the space requirements in the short term. Where they would have needed a particular square footage, we will start with significantly less so that the costs are reduced," she said. The minister noted that this will result in reduced initial capital outlay, having heard the concerns of the public. "We understand that without public support and understanding NaRRA cannot operate efficiently and so as it starts its work, we hear you in relation to the building and the cost associated with it and we are making changes. The NaRRA team has been informed that this is the decision of the Government and they will be scaling back," Morris Dixon said. The minister, however, noted that the scale back may impact the timeline of NaRRA rollout. NaRRA was established following the 2025 passage of Hurricane Melissa to fast-track rebuilding and oversee infrastructure resilience long-term. READ: NaRRA signs $115m per year lease for new headquarters at Digicel Building