Just $1.4M allocated for BVI’s roads
Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn has blasted the recent allocation of just $1.4 million to the Ministry of Communications and Works for road repairs in the territory.
Walwyn criticised the amount as grossly inadequate given the poor state of the territory’s infrastructure, which recent weather events have further exposed.
Walwyn’s remarks came after Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley presented the Schedule of Additional Provisions (SAP) to the House of Assembly last week. The SAP outlined supplementary budget allocations, including the $1.4 million earmarked for road repairs.
“The Premier in his remarks went on to mention an allocation of just $1.4 million for road repairs. I know the Minister of Communications and Works is trying his best, but $1.4 million is not enough to address the needs of our crumbling roads,” Walwyn said. He emphasised that from the time work begins on one stretch of road, $1.4 million will be quickly exhausted, leaving many areas in dire need of repair.
Walwyn also highlighted the importance of robust infrastructure in the aftermath of extreme weather events. He noted that the recent storm, which he described as behaving like a hurricane despite being classified as a tropical storm, exposed the territory’s roads, electricity, and other critical infrastructure vulnerability.
“The hurricane exposed the failing infrastructure of this country. Every time I drive around, I see how we wasted an opportunity with the $400 million loan facility we had from the British government. Now, here we are with a $1.4 million allocation for roads—it’s simply not enough,” he argued.
The Sixth District Representative compared the BVI’s situation with other Caribbean nations that have been more proactive in securing and utilising funds for infrastructure development. “You look at Cayman, you look at the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas—every minute you see new hotel developments coming on stream. But here in the BVI, nothing is happening,” Walwyn lamented.
Works Minister Kye Rymer previously explained that repairing and upgrading the territory’s infrastructure could cost over $200 million, far exceeding available funds.
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The BVI should get advice from technicians
from the U.K. or Trinidad and Tobago.
A recommendation was made months ago to have technicians from the U.K. offer their services but it was ignored by the Premier for whatever reason.
The BVI should get advice from technicians
from the U.K. or Trinidad and Tobago.
A recommendation was made months ago to have technicians from the U.K. offer their services but it was ignored by the Premier for whatever reason.
Good idea but here no one wants to take advice from anyone else, regardless of achievement, qualifications etc. We’d be in far better shape if 10% of advice given was implemented, but no because there is the flawed concept that self determination means making our own mistakes even though many have made and leaned from them. But, totally right, if we want it done correctly, ask those who have knowledge, qualifications and experience.
…Every other month we can throw a million dollar party and have govt officials flying first class globally with no benefit to the Territory. Voting has consequences…enjoy the ride!
“voting has consequences”
what about a community that cannot use road or don’t have access to the main road when rain fall .it has been over a year now. one vehicle already ran off the road (government road) in the third district. no access to emergency vehicle. residents are willing to meet the govt with some help .No citizenry should have to go through this nightmare every day. All relevant authorities are aware of this situation.
How can hotels come here when the entire nation has the xenophobic attitude. You don’t like outsiders but want to build hotels to accommodate who. Investors are not welcomed so who money gonna build.
The countries above which were mention do not scourge or make outsiders feel uncomfortable. If I am investing in a hotel I need to know that the country it is built in is ripe with opportunities for tourist to travel from anywhere to come to the country where my hotel is so that they may want to stay at my hotel.
You can’t have the two sides of the coin it’s heads or tails accept or hate
What is government doing with the environmental fee being collected ?
all vehicles that weigh more than 3 tons from using the public roads for next 4 months.
Fixing roads clearly not a priority. There’ll prob be squabbling about which small section of road to fix. The repair prob won’t last either
roads been looking bad for donkey years… think it going finally change now on this very small island where the infrastructure cant get from 3rd world quality yet and we in 2024?
didnt it cost like 1 mil or so just to do that lil stretch on fish bay? so what this here going do now????????? fada God please help the bvi
nasty patchwork for the $1.4 million
+$1mil
aye i cant wait for festivities next year mehson thats all we good for…
1.4 Million for Roads is criminal!!
Dah only could do the road down seek a bay
1.4M for the roads and how much he budget for traveling again?
increase registration fees
the current fees dont even cover salaries for public workers in DMV.
its the cheapest place in the world to register a car or truck
Make the trucks pay their fair share like other countries. a truck should be 5-10k per year depending on weight.
and get after all the illegal scooters and cars/trucks. Mr Govenor where is the police.
Spending more money on travel and festivals then the damage roads clearly doesn’t make sense. The BVI clearly has a budgeting problem where they don’t prioritize the important needs but rather what the govt wants.
…$100 for a road patch that won’t last the first rain.
…$300,000 for the next party thrown by the premier
…$1,099,900 for kickbacks
Fellow Virgin Islanders, the VI road network suffers from the following deficiencies/ailments, viz, a) poor planning, b) poor design, c) poor construction, d) poor maintenance and repair, e) under investment in roads, f) poor/prioritizing budgeting, g) wasting money investing in sealcoating and overlaying failed roads, (fellow blogger E. Leonard often says the real fix for a a failed road is reconstruction), etc. A meagre $1.4M is a drop in the bucket and not a serious attempt to fund/fix our roads. Good roads are critical and vital for growth and development. Road construction is costly but they are a good investment, if done properly, providing a high rate of return. Borrowing to design, and construct roads are an important and prudent debt; the VI has a low debt to GDP ratio.
To Stealth, indeed the cure/fix for a failed road is reconstruction. Sealcoating,overlaying a failed road is at best a band aid, throwing good money @ bad. The smooth looking surface over a failed road is an optical illusion,, ie, it is not what it appears to be, it is a false sense of action/accomplishment. Also agree with the diagnosis of what ails VI roads. Nonetheless, descriptive problems identifying is ideal but a realistic prescriptive solution plan of action is needed.
Moreover, road construction is expensive and the VI has a large backlog of road work. And paying as you go is not going to get the VI from where it is to where it needs to be. It definitely needs to borrow money to invest in road work, increasing its debt load, The borrowed money must deliver value for money and high satisfaction for road users, ie, residents and visitors. This can be accomplished by effective design, construction, maintenance and repair, etc, of the road network.
@ E. Leonard, “…. but a realistic prescriptive solution plan of action is needed.” All that sound good with big words for wanting the roads fix. But yu and those agreeing with about the bad roads and borrowing money to fix them would be crying kerosene pan of tears if ask to pay even a nominal fee to pay off the borrowed loan to fix them. Cannot compare BVI roads with US roads; the US is the number 1 economy in the world and many communities in the US also have bad roads. My problem with ayu is the yall go way and don’t come back to physically contribute. Government needs to fix the damn roads!!
Roads in BVI are worse than Mogadishu
If it was a party to be held, premiere Wheatley would have allocated more monies than that, both of his none stop party had more monies allocated.
With an annual budget inching toward 1/2 of a billion dollars, this is utterly shameful.
No transparency. No accountability. What can we do?
Astonishing how much money these so-called leaders are willing to spend on expanding the runway at the Beef Island Airport, i.e., hundreds of millions, and that’s before even waiting for the KPMG “business case,” but a meagre amount for basic infrastructure. “Absurd” doesn’t even begin to describe this government’s priorities.
use the rammed earth method and make that asphalt stretch like adding water to juice lol
@Skuntington, good try but no cigar. The rammed earth method is used in building construction mostly in rural areas in an effort to minimize cost. It is not applicable at time/yet. In the meantime it is better to use limestone , cement, etc to stabilize the subgrade.
Call the COI
Any of these ministers travel west? The road in Sea Cows Bay is worst ever – they have been ‘working’ on it for weeks. Why it taking so long? If the same people are fixing the roads then they should be replaced. What do tourists think when they see the road, the trash, the rusting dump cars and the broken buildings – that its third world and they ain’t ever coming back to this hole.
Heavy trucks damage the roads – they should pay a tax for their repair.