A shoreline protection plan for more than 14 kilometres of the Palisadoes Peninsula has been approved for NaRRA’s work programme, as the government moves to answer questions about how the new authority will be held to account.

A US$340 million US funding package for the Caribbean focuses on undersea cables, port security, policing and health workforces, prompting a former CARICOM official to ask why climate resilience does not rank higher as Jamaica nears the Hurricane Melissa anniversary.

Knutsford Express is preparing to open a depot at the Morant Bay Urban Centre and finish a commercial development in Mandeville, as the bus operator looks to rental income after a sharp fall in profit.

The Financial Services Commission’s latest industry-wide assessment shows 1,563 Hurricane Melissa claims still unresolved, with insurers reserving more for US-dollar claims than they have so far paid. The regulator says it is examining why settlements are taking so long.

At least 44 church buildings destroyed in five denominations alone, hundreds more damaged, and a J$75 million state programme that averages under J$180,000 a church. Almost a year on, Jamaica’s congregations are still in tents and halls.

Cabinet has approved new climate resilient hospitals for Black River, Falmouth, Hanover and Kingston, with the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority set to help deliver them. No costs have been announced and several sites are still being finalised.

Jamaica’s revenues and grants were J$31.3 billion below budget between April and August, and spending, including on capital works, ran well under plan. The figures narrow the room for public investment as the hurricane recovery continues.

CARICOM says 939 nationals were processed in the first ten months of full free movement between Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Jamaica has not yet joined, even as its own rebuild faces a shortage of skilled workers.

The Government has defended the pay of NaRRA’s chief executive after a row over the authority’s office lease. Builders and the Opposition are now pressing for oversight and published plans for western Jamaica.

Insurers have paid more than J$54 billion on settled Hurricane Melissa claims, with homes far behind businesses. The Financial Services Commission plans to publish a verified picture of outstanding claims on 16 October.