Residents flood new gov’t app with complaints

The Deputy Governor’s Office has reported that departments that serve the public have already received close to one hundred reports of broken infrastructure through the new “BVI GOV Report It” App.

The government launched the mobile app in April this year and invited residents to report non-emergency issues they observe in public spaces. Residents are allowed to capture photos of potholes, broken pipes, and stray animals, among other things. They can also make live, trackable reports to any government department that is responsible for the issue being reported.

A release from the government said a total of 92 reports have been made since April. The government said that of those 92 reports, 36 problems have been solved to date, while 56 solutions are in progress.

According to the release, the Water & Sewerage Department has addressed the most issues, so far, with 25 of the 36 issues being solved.

“I would really like to commend the Water & Sewerage Department for working swiftly to address the reports filed by the public. Closing 25 claims in such a brief period was not easy, but they were able to rise to the occasion,” said Abbarah Brown, Customer Service Manager in the Deputy Governor’s Office.

She further noted that the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Department of Waste Management, the Customer Service Care Centre, the Public Works Department and the Department of Information Technology also resolved a number of issues, respectively.

Brown said the remaining issues are projected to be resolved promptly and noted that the numbers change each day.

“We are so grateful for the positive feedback we have received surrounding the new app and the members of the public who continue to take advantage of the platform. We urge you to use the tracking feature on the app, for all of your reports made, to stay abreast of any updates or resolutions,” Brown stated.

Deputy Minister David Archer, Jr said the BVI GOV Report It app allows government departments to deliver services, whilst placing the needs of the public first.

The app was launched amid growing complaints from residents who constantly bemoan the poor state of public infrastructure and the slow rate at which government departments and elected leaders have been moving to improve them.

Elected leaders have stated that one of the reasons they’re unable to solve many problems is because of the recent Commission of Inquiry which has ordered many changes in the way the government does business. They say these changes make it harder for elected leaders to access funds which are often needed to fix public infrastructure in communities.