The handling of Hurricane Melissa relief funds is again under political scrutiny, as People&rsquo;s National Party Leader and Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding is among the latest raising concerns after reviewing the Auditor General&rsquo;s report.
&ldquo;When I read the report saying that as at February 23, 2026, five months after the hurricane hit, $26 million (JMD), less than 2% to spend on the people who are suffering... That is an act of gross dereliction of duty by the Government.&rdquo;
Golding said many communities in harder-hit parishes are still struggling despite the level of assistance announced by the Government.
&ldquo;This (unspent) money could have helped farther&rdquo;, he said, speaking to the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Initiative giving what he said are relatively small sums to people who have suffered major losses.&nbsp;
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He also questioned the management of the disaster response system and referenced changes made to ODPEM after the hurricane.
He said, &ldquo;The Prime Minister took ODPEM, which is supposed to be an independent disaster preparedness organisation, set up under strong legislation&hellip; put it into the Office of the Prime Minister, under his leadership &ndash; changed the man in charg
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Golding said many communities in harder-hit parishes are still struggling despite the level of assistance announced by the Government.

Opposition Blasts Government Over Relief Spending