Government has made the decision to repair the Central Administration Complex with insurance monies rather than wait for more funding to come by. Photo: VINO

A loud applause was given by the audience when Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said Government was going to tackle the repair of Central Administration Complex, in a similar way as the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Building. Photo: VINO

The decision was to be taken at Cabinet this week for approval.

“…barring that they don’t vote no, we have made a decision to fix the complex, and it is out of the insurance money, and the Minister of Works [Hon Kye M. Rymer] is in charge of that project,” Hon Fahie stated at the consultation meeting on the UK loan guarantees at Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), in Paraquita Bay, Tortola, on August 20, 2019.

A loud applause was given by the audience when the Premier said Government was going to tackle the repair of Central Administration Complex, in a similar way as the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Building.

The ESHS L-Shaped Building is being repaired by local contractors and government has given the assurance the building will be ready for the September school term.

The Central Administration Complex, which was ravaged by the hurricanes of September 2017, is the hub of Government as it houses the ministries of government and several government departments.

“Now there are those who going to fight it but we cannot let four years, six years, seven years pass and people still working in that environment. That is unfair to any human being. So I have learned not to let the perfect to become the enemy of the good but to move with transparency,” Hon Fahie argued.

Further, he said the public servants had endured long enough and it was time for relief.

“The public servants worked in water in that building. They came to work when their houses were destroyed, they came and they gave their faithful service and we have to work as a government to get it done,” Hon Fahie stated.

NDP Gov’t had settled for mere $11.4M insurance payout

Meanwhile, it is unclear whether the meagre $11.4M settled with the insurance company Nagico by the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) Government will be adequate to effect all the repairs and restoration needed.

Apart from the physical structure being damaged by the hurricanes, some 75 percent of the furniture and equipment were lost or damaged.

The Central Administration Complex was believed to have been insured for some $32M.

It remains unclear how much was the estimated claim cost put forward by the previous government for losses and damages.