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BVI now celebrating ghut cleaning wins — Penn

Penn

Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn has accused the government of achieving unprecedented mediocrity after celebrating small victories, such as cleaning up areas in the territory.

During a recent debate in the House of Assembly, Penn suggested that the celebration of basic upkeep tasks like ghut cleaning marks a decline in the territory’s standards.

Penn criticised the inefficiencies of the RATED programme, which was tasked with routine environmental maintenance. “The RATED programme is not working; it is not working. Let us not fool ourselves,” Penn asserted.

He expressed concerns about the programme’s slow progress and questioned the government’s commitment to cleaning up the territory. Penn noted that it took 15 days in the first instance to execute cleanup works, with the government promising the remainder would be cleaned within the next 25 days.

According to Penn, the government should seek an alternative approach to enhancing the efficiency of public maintenance and suggested a supplementary allocation from the budget. “Look, we’re doing an SAP (Schedule of Additional Provisions); you’re saying that we can’t do bush cutting like we traditionally do. Fine, that’s okay. Let us divide the communities and put the work out to tender. Do small tenders for these areas so that they could get cleaned up,” he recommended.

He also felt that the state of public spaces in the BVI has become a source of embarrassment. “It’s so disheartening, it’s so embarrassing that people celebrate when a section of road gets cleaned up. Imagine that? Something that should be routine becomes a cause for celebration,” Penn lamented.

Penn highlighted a specific instance that underscored his point: “I see a sign, member, on the highway. It is being celebrated on the internet that yes, we finally got this sign we could see ‘DON’T ENTER’ cleaned up. It is on social media being celebrated. That’s what we come to? That is what the Virgin Islands have come to. The envy of the Caribbean has come to, basic things now we’re celebrating.”

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15 Comments

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  1. Citizen says:

    Look at the roads.

  2. Resident says:

    he has a good point, we shouldn’t be celebrating things that should be done by a competent government

    • Concern Citizen says:

      Why don’t we just shut down PWD and get persons to work who really want to work right now it’s only a chosen few that works and the remaining just collect an easy cheque it’s time for a change time for we the people stand for SOMETHING rather than falling for anything

  3. Purpose says:

    of all the music festivals is to celebrate pot hole repairs, road repairs, etc. The plan is to provide a million dollar music show for a $50,000 infrastructure repair.

  4. Corruption Layinr Hens. says:

    The more talk about fixing and preventing corruption the more the hens lay more corruption.
    Thie administration has laid and is laying more hen laying corruption chickens than have been seen in the history of BVI politics.

  5. Si Mon Pow Err says:

    This dis honorable member will never be able to rise above his alleged shady connections and all the things that went on under his watch while he had a legislative portfolio.

    Like 1
    Dislike 2
    • Please says:

      Stop chatting p!$$ you all just come on these sites blog nonsense on people? BVI News full of nonsense for posting this garbage. The extent of the COI I saw nothing with smurfs name, jealousy and hate always trying throw dirt on people names without merit. BVI news you should be shame for posting this garbage.

  6. Envy of the Caribbean says:

    The US dollar is melting like ice in a hot frying pan let’s see how long the envy lasts. The world is in serious trouble there is no coming back.

  7. WEW says:

    Let’s have another festival !

  8. please cut before eastend jouvert says:

    The bushes along the roadside in the 8th district need cutting urgently…..VERY UNSIGHTLY!

  9. hmm says:

    Mr. Penn I don’t see any festival decors in east as yet

  10. Rated Programme says:

    Is an absolute failure! Back in the days the senior high school students worked in summer jobs where they indicated an interest in continuing education to help build up the country. Fast-forward to Anjuh ‘unusual approach’ and here we are reaping the failed fruits of his ‘Good to Great’ ideology that was rooted in corruption and drug dealing. Infrastructure is at an all time low, moral is at an alll time low and spiraling down the drain.

    We the voting public WANT a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in this government and want to see if ANY executive government members agree with US the public that this government have FAILED miserably and we are NOT going to take it beyond 2024 into 2025!!!!

    COI recommendations and deadline or NOT, we are fed up and need action NOW!!!

  11. @Citizen says:

    Is Public Works Department responsible for fixing the roads? Why are we not hearing from the person in charge of Public Works?

  12. Eagle says:

    On the Goverment Website please note the services listed under Public Works Department

    Planning, design, construction and maintenance of public infrastructure (roads, bridges, drainage, jetties, etc.)

    https://bvi.gov.vg/departments/public-works-department-0

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