‘It’s an injustice’- Hon Rymer on Gov’t owing vendors for many years
The Government of the Virgin Islands, led by Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1); however, is moving swiftly to honour debts to vendors dating back to a decade; however, sacrifices have had to be made.
Speaking at the Fourteenth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) of the Virgin Islands, today, September 22, 2020, Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities Honourable Kye M. Rymer (R5) recalled that during a previous sitting he had informed the House about the many outstanding invoices he was met with since taking office in early 2019.
$645,173.38 processed as outstanding invoices
According to Hon Rymer, so far his Ministry has processed Six Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-Three Dollars and Thirty-Eight Cents ($645,173.38) of outstanding invoices for services rendered about ten years ago.
He said the balances include the settlement of invoices from multiple vendors for the supply of concrete in the amount of Two Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand and Sixty-Two Dollars ($254,062.00); the supply of construction materials in the amount of Twenty-Seven Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty-Six Dollars and Thirty-Eight Cents ($27,436.38); and hiring of heavy equipment in the amount of One Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($132,350.00).
Adding to the numbers are Barge Services for transportation of equipment and materials to the Sister Islands in the amount of Ninety-Seven Thousand and Six Hundred Dollars ($97,600.00); and the amount of One Hundred and Thirty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty-Five Dollars ($133,725.00) for various other services rendered to the Government of the Virgin Islands.
10-year-old water debt
Adding to this, Hon Rymer said his Ministry is faced with having to settle outstanding invoices from an old Water Purchase Agreement which dates back to 2010. The outstanding payment to this vendor is to the tune of Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty Seven Dollars and Ninety Cents ($815,747.90).
“It is unfathomable that we would have an outstanding bill for a decade long on something as critical and essential to life as water,” Hon Rymer lamented.
Some $2M yet to be paid to vendors
He said that before the end of this year, government hopes to process more unsettled invoices that are in excess of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00), but hastened to say, “I cannot stand here today and report on this matter without mentioning the effect that these age-old expenses have had on the Ministry’s infrastructure development and maintenance plans.”
He explained that in order to settle the outstanding invoices, many projects are now delayed, as funding is no longer available to proceed with the execution of some works.
Delayed projects include road improvements, embankment stabilisation, drainage and water optimising.
‘An injustice’
“It is an injustice to anyone, having provided goods or services to any consumer – especially to the Government – and having met the required standards of quality for the goods or services to be accepted, to be delayed payment for such an inordinately long period. Such delays affect the cash flow of these companies. It impedes their ability to meet their own commitments and to pay their own bills. It hampers their growth. It affects their employees. It can cause them to go out of business,” stressed Hon Rymer as he apologised to those businesses affected by the untimely settlement of these payments.
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25 Responses to “‘It’s an injustice’- Hon Rymer on Gov’t owing vendors for many years”
What is it you are really saying
what goes up will come down the older the moon the brighter it shine .
So why nobody blaming the Auditors and Financial Secretaries of those times. We blame expats/Uk for everything but its our own locals #$%^ the country!!!!!!
peep this: our own vi people behind boycotting companies own and operated vi people
charity begins at home but today our own walks all over each other so they can move forward or make every possible effort to hold back vi people