Delayed payments threatening RATED programme

Delayed payments could undermine the government’s RATED programme and discourage young people from remaining in the initiative, according to concerns raised by the hosts of the Talking Points radio programme.

Elvin Grant said participants had complained that they were not receiving payment on time, despite working daily to clear vegetation and improve the appearance of the territory.

“The persons that are involved in the RATED programme, young men and women that go around and they’re doing a phenomenal job cleaning up the island in terms of, you know, the bush cutting and so on, they’ve come and they’ve said they’re not getting paid on time,” Grant stated.

Grant agreed that workers had been doing a good job, adding that the programme had improved under the involvement of Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather, but continued to face a payment bottleneck.

He argued the government should secure the money before assigning work.

“We can’t expect to keep young people engaged if they’re working in the bleeding sun day in, day out, and then when it comes time for payment, they’re being told excuses. The funding should be secured,” Grant stated.

Co-host Damion Grange described slow government payments as a wider problem affecting several sectors.

“That’s an issue with government across the sectors. It’s unacceptable,” Grange stated.

The RATED initiative — Registration, Apprenticeship, Training, Employment and Development — began in 2022 to provide temporary employment and training for unemployed and under-employed Virgin Islanders and Belongers. Its work has included roadside cleaning and beautification.

Payment delays have affected the initiative previously. In 2024, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said the programme’s structure required contractors to obtain approval before work began and undergo inspection before payment. He acknowledged that the process had caused delays and prompted some participants to leave the programme. More than 700 people had benefited from the initiative by that time.

The government allocated $3 million to RATED in 2025 for participant payments, training and statutory contributions. It assisted 318 people from 419 applicants, including 297 placed in temporary roadside cleaning work. The government announced in January 2026 that Mather would head an advisory body overseeing the programme’s relaunch.