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$20M allocated to Works Ministry for capital works in 2024 Budget
Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) in his 2024 Budget Address on November 21, 2023, said the allocation for the Ministry is comprised of $54.57 million in recurrent expenditure and $20.38 million for development.
Premier Wheatley gave a synopsis of the various projects that the funds for development will go towards, including the development of the air and seaports in the Territory, road network infrastructure upgrades, and water and sewage network upgrades.
He added that renovations to buildings that house the staff of the Water and Sewage Department, Public Works Department, and Fire and Rescue Service will also come.
Airport expansion
“For our industry to continue growing, it needs the supporting infrastructure. The upgrade and expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport to handle increased passenger arrivals and larger aircraft that are capable of bringing in visitors from further distances is critical to the further development of our tourism industry,” he added.
Dr Wheatley added that the construction of the new West End Ferry Terminal will make a tremendous contribution to boosting the Territory’s tourist arrivals and creating business opportunities across the islands more so in the western part of the Territory.
“We are moving forward with plans to expand the airport. Informed by the results of the recent visioning meeting with stakeholders, $3 million has been allocated for development projects at the international airport to improve facilities, enhance capacity, safety, efficiency, create jobs, and attract visitors,’ he added.
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10 Responses to “$20M allocated to Works Ministry for capital works in 2024 Budget”
Jost Van Dyke will the folks ever get stable electricity
Looking forward to stable street water where possible
Is the allocated money good enough to deal with the drainage concerns
Moreover, the bottom line is that a First World physical infrastructure is a must to improve and grow the economy. A First World soft infrastructure goes in hand with the physical infrastructure to keep the economy humming. I’m assuming that the $75M million earmarked for Communications and Works is coming from current government revenue (1924). But to really put a dent in the current physical infrastructure backlog, government has to borrow, ie, engaged in prudent borrowing. The backlog is a rolling backlog, for infrastructure get worst by the minute. That is why infrastructure has a define lifecycle and must be managed based on their projected life.
Moreover, the BVI lags its major small regional competitors, ie, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, etc.., in annual revenue intake. For example, Bermuda’s 2023/2024 revenue intake is an estimated $1.16B; Cayman Islands too was over $1B. According to on line sources Cayman Islands had an approximate $47M budget surplus in 2022. Further, the BVI is a small resource poor locale and so too is the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. So it cannot adequately meets its physical infrastructure, and social (soft) infrastructure needs from revenues. It has to borrow , ie, prudent borrowing. It has a low debt to GDP ratio of less than 20%. For example, per on line sources, Bermuda debt is approximately $3B. Dropping a $20M pebble in the hundreds of million capital project pond is not going to move the capital projects backlog needle. If the UK permits Bermuda, another OT, to accumulate billions in debt to spur growth and development why can’t the BVI do the same?
Disclaimer: The numbers listed have not been verified with either Bermuda or Cayman Islands official government sources. The numbers are from on line sources.
The $399.8 plus millions, in my view, is not sufficient enough size to award Works and Communications. For the year 2024 coming I believe that $70M will do, if spent accountable. The $4, 959, 000 should be used to raise the salary of low paid government workers, and jobless others in need of daily support.
It is of a truth that serious crimes is rapidly rising in the BVI. Wise budget estimate $$$ spending will help in more ways than we know not now.
Showande how much for Health Services? The government hospital is grossly neglected. You can't even get a bottle of water. No hospital gowns, bed linens and every day necessities for patient comfort. Why patients of Peebles have to get some urgent services from Eureka because the %^&* morons would not put money in the budget to purhase the most basic eqiipment and furnish the hospital. Education and Health Care are on the bottom of their agenda. Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital is neglected under funded and we the people have to start choosing pricipled and effective leaders going forward. Slowande and his gang of slow walkers is not cutting it. Do you think every body that is admitted to Peebles and come out in a body bag needed to die? I think not. Most die because of lack if expertise and lack of the necessay equipment to run tests, and lack of basic daily care.