BVI News

Poor management! Premier shouldn’t be handling bush cutting

Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy ‘Buddha’ Mather

Territorial At-Large Representative Stacey ‘Buddha’ Mather has slammed the government’s poor management of the BVI, pointing to the untidy appearance of the territory’s roadsides as just one example of its poor record in office.

Mather criticised the government’s decision to shift this task from ministry to ministry while speaking at a recent press conference where Opposition lawmakers explained their attempt to remove the government through a no-confidence motion.

According to Mather, bush cutting had been passed from one department to another over the last few years. “Something as simple as bush was passed on from the Ministry of Communications and Works under Public Works to the Ministry of Health and Social Development under Solid Waste,” he noted. But, the process did not stop there, as Mather explained, “now it has landed itself in the Premier’s Office.”

The first-term lawmaker expressed disbelief that the territory’s highest elected official, the Premier, now manages bush-cutting within his portfolio. “Come on! Is that management, if you cannot delegate something as simple as bush-cutting to your other soldiers where you’re sitting at the helm of the country?” Mather stated.

He argued that this level of poor delegation highlights a broader management issue within the government, questioning how more significant matters can be handled effectively.

Mather’s comments also focused on the financial impact of this mismanagement, citing a major budget allocation for the bush-cutting programme. “Two point three million dollars? This is what we were discussing when we had the SAP (Schedule of Additional Provisions) the other day,” he continued.

Mather urged the government to return the bush-cutting responsibilities to the Public Works Department, suggesting that reviving its original functions would improve overall infrastructure management.

He emphasised that Public Works was once responsible for many tasks, including bush cutting, and that restoring the department’s full capabilities would help address ongoing infrastructure issues in the territory.

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25 Comments

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  1. TruDat! says:

    It’s such a simple task – if we don’t have anyone capable of handling this under the Premiere then we are in a very sorry place. Either he is a power hungry melomaniac – or everyone under him is an imbecile.

    Like 27
    Dislike 0
    • Smack Dabb says:

      Well if he and his colleagues in HOA can’t fix anything else they should at least be expected to fix the bush cutting program

  2. LOL says:

    APPARENTLY, ALL THE PREMIER COULD DO IS TRAVEL, FREE PARTIES, FAILED MUSIC FEST AND CUT BUSH

    Like 21
    • COI CLEARLY DID NOT HIT HOME says:

      WHY ARE WE STILL DEALING WITH THIS BS AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF COI?

      Like 10
    • @LOL says:

      You sure ain’t lying about that. The Premier gets an A plus when it comes to flying first class, luxury accommodations and party. He gets a F minus when it comes to running the Territory.

  3. Dim Sum says:

    And his (Hon. Mather) point is exactly why the infrastructure has collapsed. The ministers don’t have a clue how to manage their respective ministries because none of them had to ever manage a friggin’ lemonade stand ever in their lives!

    Square pegs being forced into round holes all the while malfeasances and mismanagement is glaring at us daily while the ministers play hooky and globetrot on the public dime.

    That’s why when the Vote of No Confidence was brought they (ministers) fought it so hard. Maintaining the status quo is more important than effectively governing. And managing the territory’s economy.

    Like 26
    Dislike 1
  4. PWD says:

    Is PWD no longer functional or are they now defunct through RDA. Make it make sense please

    Like 18
    • E. Leonard says:

      PWD should still has a key role to play. RDA is designated the major construction unit; PWD, the minor construction, and maintenance and repair unit. This concept is not a novel; it is employed by the US Navy( and others), ie, Regional Officer in Charge of Construction ( ROICC) primary role is major construction, and Public Works takes care of minor construction, maintenance and repair, etc.

      In addition to minor construction, maintenance, and repair, PWD, as the maintenance and repair entity will a) be responsible for managing the warranty for completed construction projects , b) review designed projects for maintainability, c) provide feedback to RDA on the efficacy of completed projects, d) develop construction projects, procure funding, and deliver projects to RDA for construction, e) Maintain( repository) redlined plans and specs for completed projects, f) Maintain a Backlog Maintenance and Repair (BMAR) list in priority order of funding needs, etc.

      • @E. Leonard says:

        @E. Leonard, seems as if you have created a new role for Public Works. I will bet it will fail at that too. Public works is as less as they come. Why y’all does go way and only come back to visit? Government send away some of you to study but some didn’t come back. At least you try to offer some suggestions

      • RealPol says:

        E.Leonard, I think you may have forgotten that PWD also provide services, ie, grass and bush cutting, pest control services, street sweeping, ditch cleaning, etc.

  5. Stealth says:

    Where bush cutting lands is a matter of preference for the government. To me it is not right or wrong whether it is under public works, health , environment, parks and recreation , etc.,S long as it get done done and done effectively. The Premier is number 1 among equals and if he things bush cutting is better under his portfolio he has the right as Premier. Nonetheless, If I were Premier, I would delegate it to someone else further down the chain, holding them responsible and accountable.

    On a higher level, this bush cutting thing is a comparative advantage process in economics, ie, producing things at the lowest opportunity cost. The Premier burdened with bush cutting is probably too high an opportunity cost. A lower opportunity cost is possible by delegating the function to lower level staff.

    Like 4
    Dislike 3
    • Mustang says:

      @Stealth, David Ricardo coined the comparative advantage economic concept. Undoubtedly, comparative advantage is applicable to bush cutting, a simple task which should be handled at lower levels.

    • Quiet Storm says:

      @Stealth, Comparative advantage that is some deep shit. Do you think either the Premier or anyone else in government or opposition is thinking on that level? It is an inexperienced ‘green team’ is struggling to find its sea legs.

  6. My only comment says:

    Time to expose and stop the games. Another F up under our noses by your very inept Premier.

    Like 14
  7. NO WONDER says:

    TOO SWEET, HAPPENINGS AND TUMBAY WILL BE SPEARHEADING THIS

  8. BuzzBvi says:

    Dear Stacey. Surely by now you have worked out. It is about having access to the kickbacks.

  9. So tell me says:

    Does the Premier know how to use a cutlass or a weed cutter? But yet he up here WITH THE BUSH CUTTING GAME AND SCAM. YEAH!!! A SCAM, I SAID IT!!!!! AND WHO DON’T LIKE WHAT I’VE SAID CAN GO RIDE DONKEY ALL DAY LONG IN THE HOT SUN JUST MAKE SURE YOU GIVE THE DONKEY A FOOD AND WATER BREAK.

    • @so tell me says:

      I am looking at it as one big scam like Andrew with the 1,000 jobs in 100 days. Bush cutting should be a year round thing. There will always be work in bush cutting. DAMN SCAM, ONLY THE CRONIES THAT IS GIVEN BUSH CUTTING CONTRACTS IS BENEFITING FROM THE SCAM. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE PEOPLE WITH THE CAKE AND ICE CREME SCAMS.

  10. GOOD says:

    As the young people used to say back in the day, “TIS GOOD!” Now that the people see that voting has consequences they will go to the polls next time with common sense and not emotions!

  11. This bush growing says:

    And so why PW not cutting — the bush growing massive now
    What really going on?

  12. Hmm says:

    Anyone ever heard about self help? Well many Caribbean islands practice this and especially at festival times where each community have a big cook out and the residents clean up their community. Why can’t we have that here? Landlord and land owners should clean up their own yard and Infront the government should have only had to deal with the road reserve not Infront of persons yard.

  13. Same old same old says:

    Can anyone name an example of anything that any administration has managed competently let alone well? There seems to be this entrenched mind set that we don’t want to learn how to better.

  14. BuzzBvi says:

    Yep. Only important thing is that feiends and family gey money. Job doesnt even need to be done or finished, so they get to keep even more money. The country and the peoplw never benefit. Just look around. Vi is a disgusting tangle of bush, garbage, dwrelict vehicles, coastal fill and dumping everywhere, containers on every vacant lot, street light broken, electrical wire hanging from any installation, pot holes, danger holes, no road markings, everything half done. What a mess. Tourists might love coming to see how third world people live, but we dont need to be in a third world country.

  15. Bush cutting says:

    aka Premier handouts

  16. 6th district Representative says:

    Is John’s Hole a public road or a private road. Why are there so many direlic vehicles on both sides of the road. No place whatsoever to veer off from in coming traffic. This place really needs law and order and also cleaning up.

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