THE HURRICANE recovery effort has taken form and focus with the appointment of Danville Walker to lead a new agency, the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR).

Mr. Walker, substantially the Director of Elections, is to coordinate the recovery effort of all government ministries, departments and public sector entities ­ a task envisaged to take six months as announced by the Prime Minister on Monday.

The new agency, rather than simply becoming another layer of bureaucracy, should be staffed adequately with experienced personnel able to relate to the key areas of greatest need. It is commendable that the Government will seek to appoint highly experienced and trained persons, including from the private sector, to this team.

These appointments, along with the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, will loom large to tackle the devastation of the farming sector. Similarly, the timely restoration of public utilities will need careful consideration and access to the technical know-how which, for example, is critical to safeguard against fallen power lines which may be dangerous.

Already there have been announcements of a number of recovery funds as well as international aid from agencies and donor groups. The decision to establish the Jamaica Hurricane Relief Fund and an oversight committee should help to ensure that the inflows from both local and foreign sources, and the distribution process, are carefully coordinated and managed. This is a necessity.

As the Prime Minister stated in announcing the establishment of the ONR, intimate knowledge of every nook and cranny of the country is a key requirement; a qualification which, as Director of Elections, Mr. Walker would have acquired in the field; along with dealing with political representatives of the people.

The new agency will not have time to settle down as a permanent fixture of national government. It will have to cross lines of demarcation between Central and Local Government, for the hardest hit areas are in the remote rural parts, some of which may still be cut off by flood waters or landslides.

In effect the ONR's real task is short-term first aid; presumably co-ordinating the resources to be allocated to replanting, recovery and reconstruction phases. Beyond the six-month tenure there will remain major work for the ministries and other government agencies to carry on as part of the routines of government in normal times.

These efforts to manage and coordinate the relief activities properly and steps to ensure transparency are commendable. They are especially critical to the process of recovery in a time of crisis.

THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.

Back to Commentary

Go-Jamaica | Jamaica Star | Go-Local Jamaica | Sports Jamaica | Letters to the Editor