National Disaster Fund Committee now in place, says Commander Gayle

Director General at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, says the National Disaster Fund Committee (NDFC) is now in place.

“In January of this year, we would have written to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service requesting that the necessary steps be taken as per the [Disaster Risk Management] Act to cause for a new committee to be established through the Cabinet. The Cabinet did approve the establishment of that committee in May of this year,” he noted.

The NDFC is mandated to provide policy oversight, general administration, and effective management of the National Disaster Fund (NDF).

The absence of the committee was one of several matters raised by the Auditor General, which undertook a series of audit reports to evaluate multiple aspects of the country’s Hurricane Melissa relief efforts.

During a Special Interview with the JIS Chief Executive Officer, Giovanni Dennis, at ODPEM’s offices on Tuesday, Gayle said the committee has already met and has started to engage on matters pertinent to the NDF.

“So, the committee is indeed in place, and all the necessary matters that require their attention from the ODPEM perspective will be forwarded to that committee as per the necessary regulations,” he informed.

As it relates to outstanding statements of accounts and annual reports, Commander Gayle said directives have been given to ensure that the agency is up to date on these matters.

Meanwhile, Commander Gayle said that “significant headway” is being made in addressing concerns raised by the Auditor General regarding the absence of a dedicated account for the NDF and the apparent commingling of funds.

In explaining the matter, the director-general said that there are designed accounts for the investment portion of the funds.

“Where the commingling occurred was that, albeit that the fund had its own account – it was being run out of an operational account here, solely dedicated towards NDF cash – a circumstance occurred at the ODPEM in which the extra funds that we found ourselves with from another project had no home and those monies were held in that account. So, the funds aren't being commingled necessarily with usual recurrent or capital funds, just one other project account,” he explained.

Commander Gayle said that the necessary steps are being taken, in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the Accountant General, to open the necessary accounts and “we are expecting a resolution very soon”.

ODPEM’s newly appointed Board Chairman, Trudy Deans, said she is satisfied with the steps that have been taken by the agency, so far, to address the Auditor General’s concerns.

“We just want Jamaicans to understand that there is nothing untoward that's happening here at the ODPEM,” she stated.

- JIS

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