Prime Minister urges improved standards in housing construction

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is imploring citizens to be more responsible regarding where and how they choose to construct their homes.

Dr Holness says Hurricane Melissa has taught the country that the location of houses and the types of material used in construction are critical to reducing damage during a natural disaster.

The Prime Minister, who was in Westmoreland on Friday for the official handover of the Little London police station, said the impact of the hurricane on physical assets, from St Elizabeth to Westmoreland, has been devastating.

He says, taking into consideration economic constraints, Jamaicans cannot return to the old ways of construction.

Another hard lesson from the hurricane is how important it is to not build in unsafe locations, he added.

He acknowledged, at the same time, that the government has a role to ensure that there are opportunities available for citizens to acquire land and build their homes safely.

A National Reconstruction Resilient Authority has been established by the government to lead the country's rebuilding and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.