Government’s travel budget nearing $3M for 2024 — Mather
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacey ‘Buddha’ Mather has raised alarms about the government’s travel spending for 2024, revealing that the current expenses have far exceeded the budgeted amount.
Mather’s concerns were voiced during a recent Opposition forum, where he questioned whether the increasing travel costs reflect misaligned priorities amid the territory’s financial challenges.
“In 2024, it was budgeted $1.9 million dollars for travel. The actuals right now are $2.7 million,” Mather highlighted. “Does this mean that they spend more time abroad than here? What are we doing?”
Mather’s comments highlight the significant difference between the initial budget and the current travel spending. “When you look at the cost of living in the BVI, much has been said about consumer protection, but we don’t have it. Our people are screaming out,” Mather emphasised, noting that the government should address local economic issues. He pointed to the rising prices of basic goods as an example. “I grew up in a BVI where a bag of sugar was $2-3. How much is it now — $6?” Mather asked.
The government has been heavily criticised by the political Opposition and some sections of the community for constantly being away from the territory, with some suggesting that parliamentary proceedings are neglected as a result. But Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has defended his government and said it was politically convenient for the Opposition to spout such criticisms. He argued that the need for governments to travel is a global phenomenon.
Mather’s concerns come at a time when residents call for more transparency and effective use of public funds. The rising travel budget, coupled with the economic challenges many in the Virgin Islands face, has raised critical questions about the government’s priorities.
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Blame lorna
Why can’t they fly in the back of the plane and stay in a cheaper hotel? They don’t fly 1st class or stay in 5 star hotels when they are paying for themselves!
NOTHING TO SHOW FOR ALL THIS TRAVELLING
“In 2024, it was budgeted $1.9 million dollars for travel. The actuals right now are $2.7 million,” Mather highlighted. “Does this mean that they spend more time abroad than here? What are we doing?”
Who approves this overspending?
Why was this allowed?
What can we do to prevent further government misuse of taxpayer’s money?
Assuming that figure is correct, admittingly, that’s a lot of expensive travel.
As a person who travels internationally quite often, I just can’t envision if I was taking my entire family along with me on my frequent trips, it would approach those numbers.
How are these people travelling? What airline? What class? Where hotels are they staying? What and where are they eating?
It would be helpful in understanding this expenditure if there was a breakdown of the cost of these trips. Specifically, cost for airline tickets, hotels, food, transportation, ancillaries.
On the surface, it appears excessive and probably out of control spending. Even the allotted amount of $1.9 million is a lot. Do you mean to tell me they cannot travel within the budget?
From my observation, too many people are jumping on planes as some delegation to some new conference the benefit to the public that is not clear.
I recognize government officials have to travel to conduct official business but $2.7 Mill worth and the year is not even over?
Not sure the cost is justifying the benefit to the country as I personally not seeing it. Something is wrong with that picture.
Are these folks getting multiple free vacation rides at tax payers expense. Somebody needs to come up with some receipts.
Audit please.
Known as BVI and currently run by a bunch of clowns..
Spending $220,000 on a private gangster rap concert and flying around the world for more than $3 million United States Dollars takes priority over:
– Potholed roads
– Bad education
– A bankrupt NHI
– No pension system
– Deteriorating healthcare
– Corrupt politicians
– Drug related killings and crimes
– Excessive spending and no budgeting
everything on your list except pension system! it need to stay just so. If they could afford to travel and waste money they could afford the govt current pension system.!
Money for everything else but……
VIP politicians must pay for all their travel expenses since 2019 with their own personal funds!
Mather on Point as usual.
They should have stayed on that medical cannabis bill which would have help our people help themself & bring more business than all the travel & partying combined.
Party for a couple days or have tourist take it easy year round pick one.
Everything is in the millions these people taking us for a ride them spending million wild other have nothing
@mmhm: the premiere will give you reefer addict the weed to quiet you in exchange for no accountability to the BVI people, the Antigua prime minister did legalize the herb and got kindergarten smoking on school compound, so no road or hospital will fix, only you smoke your brain out.
BVI politicians — Money for nothing and your chicks for free. U.K. NOW
have they ever heard of zoom, teams or webex the vast majority of these meetings can be done over video conferencing platforms they just want to spend our money traveling first class
Travel expenses for the British government include costs for providing travel, reimbursing travel, accommodation, meals, and other subsistence while traveling12. The government’s travel budget for 2024 is nearing $3 million.
THIS IS THE BUDGET FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AND WE ARE ALMOST MATCHING THAT. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. THIS IS A DISGRACE.
@James – I am not questioning you but I’d love to see a reliable source link that says the UK Gov travel budget for 2024 is $3MM
Google “what is the travel budget for the British Government”. That is where I got the information. It may not be correct, but there again it may be.
Happy to see, from the comments over the weeks, that the VI(b) people are finally waking to what was being hinted to over all the months. \It is now in plane sight.
It was clearly written where current leaders spoke casually on social media,in response to a comment about elected officials in response to corruption and government money.
“Shut your mouth, when we go in we goun do kust what des before us did.” They know who said it, and the ring leaders are still in power.
Still, i wait to collect my increment owed to me for work done, some twenty years ago after gving my coutry 35-40years of productive service and receiving meager pay salary. I could not travelto Mosquito Island.
And though i am not regretting teaching in my own home town, as it was my storng choice, i regret now being a retiree with much medical need needs and no money to fund those needs.
Further, i do not oppose self determination. Reason, when i thought about leaving moms home, myself and every youth from my era were not hindered in thinking by whether mother, father, uncle, aunt or the tourist would be there to fund and keep me afloat.
We were given certain mental tools to see us leave our cabin, go out into the world and succeed.
This governent is made up of the same kind of individuals with the same upbriging. We did it and so will they. Some of us are just damm tired of the pesky irritant with great powers, as a result of our labour.
Indeed, the opposition should stop wasting its time with the non-productive misguided, deficiet non proritized spending crew and proceed to seriously challenging the UK to pay us what we are owed, payments for work done.
If this government could get that vast amounts of money owed, some where in the trillions,the country would become rich bucu rich and become able to provide for itself.
If we canget te women and men with brains to initiate the work,it can be done. You say no? Ask the leaders of Barbados.
Yet, there are some people who thought the COI was heavy-handed and out of order. A Travel budget of $1.9million dollars and actuals are at $2.7million, that is an overspend of $800,000.00, and we still have months to go before the end of the year (and/or the financial year). This account to gross misconduct of public finances and if the people responsible were working in a private run entity, the accountant of finance lead would have dragged their asses to answer questions from the governing board.
That’s ridiculous just for traveling…the school needs attention,hospital, roads I really can’t wait for next election