Economist Keenan Falconer says Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness’ decision to focus significantly on post-hurricane Melissa reconstruction during his budget debate presentation was a good one, as swift recovery will lead to faster economic growth.

During his contribution in parliament yesterday, Dr. Holness said the bill to establish the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARRA) under its own special purpose legislation was tabled at the sitting.

He said NARRA will have special powers to accelerate development approvals, as well as procurement, enabling the execution of resilient infrastructure projects at a scale and speed Jamaica has never seen before.

Speaking with IRIE FM News today, Mr. Falconer said Dr. Holness provided a clear and comprehensive roadmap for the Government’s post-hurricane reconstruction strategy.

He noted that rapid national reconstruction is the primary means of overcoming the fiscal deficits triggered by the category 5 storm.

Citing the prime minister’s announcement about the minimum wage, Mr. Falconer said he believes the decision to raise the wage to $17000, rather than the initially promised $18500 speaks to the challenges facing businesses, following the hurricane.