$100M loan not only for roads
Works Minister Kye Rymer has moved to set the record straight regarding the government’s $100 million loan, saying people should know that not all the funds will be spent on roads.
The Minister’s clarification comes amid ongoing criticism that major roadways are still in a state of disrepair despite the government securing the loan last year. During the Virgin Islands Voice broadcast, Rymer explained that only $38 million of the $100 million has been allocated for major road repairs across the territory.
He added that those funds are not currently being used, as the government is still in the design and procurement phases for the roadways that will be rehabilitated.
“Right now we are at the stage where we have received quite a lot of the designs and we are now going to tender the roads that will be done this year. I just want the public to know there is a process. We just can’t take up the government’s money and assign. The system is there where we must go through these processes,” Ryer explained.
He added that the government is being careful with the loan that was borrowed especially with the damning 2022 COI report that found that the Ministry of Works had a culture of awarding contracts without going through the proper procurement process.
The Minister also explained that for several weeks now, the government has been doing asphalt overlaying on several roads to make life easier for motorists. But he stressed that a separate funding stream is paying for these temporary works.
“None of that money came from the [$38 million] loan funding. Last year the Cabinet gave approval for us to overlay 4.5 miles of roads. We did Fish Bay, Trellis Bay, East End, Long Look and other areas. But all this overlaying is because of funds that were allocated last year,” Rymer explained.
Rymer’s clarification regarding funding for long-awaited road rehabilitation comes amid recent criticism from members of the National Democratic Party, who recently said road works were taking too long to be completed and were frustrating residents in many communities. They also questioned whether the government was using the $38 million allocation for road works wisely.
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Of $38million, $13million being spent this year. When are we spending the other $25Milliin on the roads?
What happened to the other $62 Million?
Why is it all so SECRET?
You keep lying to us about TRANSPARENCY. We cant see it. We want to see the airport reports we paid for. We want financial reports. We want TRANSPARENCY and the COI recommendations followed to fix the VI.
So why are we not collecting money for road building and maintenance with car registration fees???
BVI is the cheapest place in the world to register a car! the current fees do not even cover the cost of the DMV buildings and payroll.
car registration should be 500 or more per year and trucks should pay for the wear and tear they put on the roads so probably 5000 and up depending on weight.
the cost will just be sent on to the consumers.
it will also avoid having the ridicules amount of cars that are here now. BVI does not have the infrastructure to support the number of cars and trucks that are on the roads.
Make the cost of living EVEN HIGHER for working class people than it already is , when they can barley survive , and its not like there is a public transportation system that can get working class people to and from work at all hours of the working shift be it day or night.
@BuzzBvi…They will Have deep pockets after.
Probably most of the $100 million loan will NOT be used for infrastructure upgrades and repairs. As usual most of this loan will be spent on concerts, travel expenses and civil service salaries.
might as well give that 100M to the drug man and crypto scam investors to flip and invest and turn it into 1 billion that can be really put to use.
“Not only for roads” — Pockets of politicians and family.
Mostly on redirection: to the accounts of the ruling party, cronies, supporters and the leavings for the roads, whose conditions will not change before the month leading up to elections..
Sadly though, that is the time when Virgin islanders will again get to show how politically stupid, immature, unreas, unknowledgable and party bought out they are.
Afterall, what other country, third or first world, would one read such an headline and post in cloumn?
What is the hold up again with Sea Cows Bay main road.