Gov’t to hire bush cutters year round
The government is now putting measures in place to hire bush cutters all year round so the service can be delivered across the territory on a consistent basis.
Last week, a statement from the government said delays in attending to bush cutting throughout the territory was because it (the government) was changing the way these contracts are awarded. This is so the territory remains compliant with recommendations made in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.
Speaking at a press conference last week, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said despite the delays, the government is using the opportunity to improve the bush-cutting exercise and is working on the necessary documents to hire bush cutters through the Public Works Department on a regularly basis.
“That should be starting shortly. It’s just a matter of getting the Cabinet paper to the House [of Assembly]. So as opposed to having bush-cutting once, twice, three times a year, we’re trying to see if we can do it year round. Instead of the guys not being able to do anything for a long period in the year, they will have a steady income and be gainfully employed,” Premier Wheatley explained.
He added that the government also intends for the hired persons to do general beautification activities such as curb-side painting.
“That’s the goal. I think the place will be cleaner in the long run and will be better for the guys actually doing the work,” Premier Wheatley said.
The absence of regular bush cutting has been a long-standing concern for many residents who complain that overgrown shrubs are unsafe and unsightly.
But the programme experienced further halts after the recent COI report recommended the revamping of the process used to award contracts like bush-cutting, for greater transparency.
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What happened to the full time government workers that used to do this!?
So now you issue a contract to one of your buddies, that then hire a bunch of down islanders for $6 an hour, and then pocket the money! Why don’t you make the public works department do their job!
Get those fat government boys out of their air conditioning and put they to work!
Instead of the guys not being able to do anything for a long period in the year, they will have a steady income and be gainfully employed is what Wheatley says, implying that they’ll get paid for those times when there is no bush to cut. The scope of work is not at all clear. It seems to me better to create a landscaping department, so you’ree not just cuttimng bush, but hopefully trying to make the place department. Otherwise, it’s the same thing as before only people getting paid for not being productibve.
Another lie the coi got the bush cutting locked down
The entire COI was focused on handing out money to buy votes – and bush cutting is handing out money to buy votes…we are back were we started!
Put the soon to be incarcerated to work!
the bush dem gonna haul you out
for bush cutting to the tender waiver process by lowering the $100k minimum to $5. Maximum wage for bush cutters is $5/hr. If they want more then contract bidding time.
Additionally the DPW civil servants that are too important to cut bush must provide and operate the heavy equipment to remove the cuttings for recycling and not leave the debris on private property or worse in the road ways.
With inflation getting out of control all over the world, these jokers are complaining about bush cutting…
For real tho… Why do we even have a public works department? What is their actual job if everything that need doing pertaining to ‘public works’ has to be contracted out?
When will Sea Cows Bay, LOOK, like a place one wants to visit, work, and play?
Not seacows bay alone… all over the place… look so nasty… If they would cut the bush and trim the trees this place wouldn’t look so nasty…. tola just look like a dump… water settling all over, so stink.. garbage all over… the place full of garbage trucks and the dumps still overflowing first thing in the morning… and some of the bins left hanging out in the road… SICKENING.. third world is what we are…
What happened to the solid waste crew? they use to clean along the main roads all the time…..
I travel to many other caribbean country already and tortola is the only place where u don’t see prisons out doing work you have a lot of them just up there sitting down getting 3 square meal a day give them some work
public works is filled with a bunch of lazy, fat big belly men. Sea Cows Bay looks like a mini ghetto with the overgrown bushes.
are you crazy ? those like gods sporting their bling bling , you would be insulting them with cutting bush ( you mad or WAH ? they are protected , we done see some are released after committing cold blooded murder , them untouchable
Rubbish, waste of taxed payer money. What happen to the government workers that are already being paid? Shouldn’t this be there duties? Or even prisoners if push comes to shub. Stop wasting money.
No foresight, implement legislation which makes persons responsible for their own property(ies) whether it is at roadside or not. Persons who does not keep their property well groomed or cleaned will be fined. And if they choose not to pay the finds, let it acrue. Once the fines owed acrue to the value of the land, government can take possession and auction the property off. It time to change the culture. Also, implement a house numbering system for post/ shipping and house to house garbage collection by a government unit (or RESPONSIBLE third party contractor). All of these are ideas we the people want to see move forward. Stop wasting money with bush cutting contracts. Government department should be responsible for the government property (ies) and the government roads.
That’s the scam right there. Take the work away from PWD and give it out to cronies. It’s what happens all over the Caribbean. Easiest way to transfer taxpayers money into the pockets of your supporters.
There is a group of workers who throw some asphalt on the roads one day per month, can anyone say what these men do for the other 21working days for the month.