The potential tragedy of the Government’s decision to ram through the legislation to establish the National Reconstruction and Reliance Authority (NaRRA) is that it might cause the opposite of what the administration says it wants to accomplish with the law: speed in post-hurricane reconstruction.

The administration has said that it intends to appeal the decision, but the Constitutional Court’s recent ruling in the Bengal Development case, striking down as unconstitutional Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ reversal of a regulator’s denial of an environment licence in the Dry Harbour Mountain, is likely, should the circumstances arise, to spur similar delaying challenges with respect to NaRRA.

Concerns about the NaRRA legislation, however, are not limited to the power it gives to the minister to by-pass and override regulatory authorities. Public disquiet also centres on the over-concentration of power in the hands of the authority’s CEO and the minister, with very thin governance oversight.