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Disgrace! Gov’t workers @ Internal Audit without AC over 3 months

- office is located upstairs the Labour Department in Ritter Building, Road Town
Staff of the Internal Audit Department has reportedly been working without AC since September 2016. Photo: Team of Reporters
The Internal Audit Department is a Government Agency that reports to the Financial Secretary and does audits of Government’s internal books. Photo: Team of Reporters
The Internal Audit Department is a Government Agency that reports to the Financial Secretary and does audits of Government’s internal books. Photo: Team of Reporters
Some workers who occupy the office spaces in the Old Administration Building in Road Town had resorted to using face masks due to the condition of the building. Photo: Team of Reporters
Some workers who occupy the office spaces in the Old Administration Building in Road Town had resorted to using face masks due to the condition of the building. Photo: Team of Reporters
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- For months our newsroom has received calls about working conditions from users of the Internal Audit Department, an agency under the Ministry of Finance.

While we had this information from September 2016 our newsroom wanted to give the Government some time to fix the broken Air Condition (AC) Unit that has not been working since early September 2016.

However, a check today December 28, 2016, some three months later, it was uncovered that the AC is still not working as the staff is forced to work in the heat and very uncomfortable conditions.

The staff at the Internal Audit Department, a Government Department, is now left to open office windows, use electrical fans or fan themselves with different objects.

It is this news site’s understanding that the Government is responsible for the maintenance of the AC and not the Landlord.

A search of the Registry did not come up with a new lease signed between the Government and the landlord so we could not have verified the terms and conditions.

Poor working conditions continue

On December 9, 2016 this news site reported on another Government Department, the High Court Registry, where government employees were forced to wear face masks to protect their health because of falling debris and mold in the Old Administration Building on Main Street in Road Town.

Many of the ruling National Democratic Party critics have claimed this is another example of the poor financial state the Dr D. Orlando Smith’s 5 year old Administration has left the country in and it’s affecting the working conditions of civil servants since there is no money to maintain government rented offices.

The Internal Audit Department is a Government Agency that reports to the Financial Secretary and does audits of Government’s internal books.

It’s a different Department from the Independent Office of the Auditor General, a Constitutional Agency with wide reaching powers and reports only to the Governor.

Meanwhile, Financial Secretary Mr Neil M. Smith had not responded to our queries on the matter at the time of publication.

22 Responses to “Disgrace! Gov’t workers @ Internal Audit without AC over 3 months”

  • ann (28/12/2016, 18:32) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
    I cry for my bvi
    • my two cents (28/12/2016, 19:14) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
      some of that money for from the Ports and the Wall could have easily fix the AC
  • pat (28/12/2016, 18:39) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    SMH
  • street reporter. (28/12/2016, 19:33) Like (34) Dislike (1) Reply
    Thank God for Vino.. We are not suffering in silence.
    • @ street reproter (29/12/2016, 12:26) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      if the esteem one was not a real solid patriot, they would have shut him down long time
  • Diaspora (28/12/2016, 19:34) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why does government have so much difficulty providing basic/core services? Water supply erratic and not available for extended periods. Road conditions are horrible. Parking in Road Town test the faith of Jobe. Frequent electricity "brown outs." Hazardous enironmental conditions in buildings. And the beat goes on. It is a parade of poor services. What is the cause of the poor service delivery?

    Can the poor service be attributed to lack of resources? Is it due to poor operations? Is it poor leadership and management? Or is it poor planning?

    Poor, unhealthy and uncomfortable working conditions result in low productivity, higher operating cost, poor customer service........etc. Who is responsible for the maintenance and repair of buildings and building systems, i.e., electrical, plumbing, fire alarm and suppression, air conditioning.......etc? Is it Public Works?
  • Smithy (28/12/2016, 19:47) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's coming!
  • blame (28/12/2016, 20:34) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is so shameful. Last week it was Tourist Board, now its Audit. Who is next tomorrow? Our cries are really falling on deaf ears! This NDP government only care about themselves. I guess we have to blame ourselves for putting them in.
  • voter (28/12/2016, 22:44) Like (11) Dislike (3) Reply
    The uk need to take over the bvi fast
    • Stopit!! (29/12/2016, 10:01) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      What is a white leadership going to do for black people of the Virgin Islands? Stop chatting piss. Go and learn your history, then you will not say stupidness like inviting the UK to lead our people. Are you a Virgin Islander, or an "Idontcarelander"? Keep the UK out of our business. Let us fix our own problems. You know not of what you ask. Set ah ole moo-moos.
  • after all the building belongs to he (28/12/2016, 22:48) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    shouldn't white head kojack be the one to repair this?
  • voter (28/12/2016, 23:32) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
    The uk need to take over the bvi fast
    • Really (29/12/2016, 06:04) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
      Boss uk cant even organized there exit from the EU and you here talking poss
    • NONOISAY (29/12/2016, 10:07) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      Here one goes again, a person without the knowledge of his or her past asking the UK to repeat it for them again. Because an office is without AC, the UK needs to come here to fix our AC? That is an insult to the intelligence of our well educated people. We built up a Financial Services that was the envy of the UK, and now you calling them to come and fix AC for us? You need to go to HLSCC and start taking VI History 101 from on her chatting piss without basis for your writing. Sick of people who calling for the enactment of slavery that our ancestors fought to eradicate. Spirit of the ancestors, deliver us up and never over to the hands of the Oppressors. Amun Ra.
  • Kingfish (28/12/2016, 23:37) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Once its on vino they will have it fix shortly
  • Albion (29/12/2016, 01:05) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is the norm....speak to the police
  • virginislander (29/12/2016, 04:41) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    The money this government is going to throw away with airport extension to the Chinese should be used to make the buildings our people are working in comfortable. That old administration building should have been refurbished a long time ago and that money we want to give the Chinese must be used to do that. That will put several offices under one roof. Where is the money coming from anyway? We are not hearing about he source. The runway is not a necessity right now . It is a political gimmic. Chinese do not leave they take over. Check outTibet and parts of Africa or any place where they do work. Their people get the top jobs and good living conditions, while the citizens of thecountrysuffer. Is this going to be like whenDomnicans were brought in to build Peebles with concessions as well and our people got no work? Then our own contractor along with someone else had to correct all the errors and complete the building. This government must take those risks with their own bank accounts not the public purse. Accountability is important. Money does not grow on trees.
  • just wrong (29/12/2016, 07:03) Like (0) Dislike (10) Reply
    Why is everyone upset? Once that new Airport runway gets done, all the BVI problems will be solved.
  • civil servant (29/12/2016, 09:20) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    they care only about those in the admin complex
  • Yes (29/12/2016, 09:49) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    The Government probably subscribes to the notion of making auditors unable to do their job. Hmmm go figure
  • Really? (29/12/2016, 14:13) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Anybody heard of preventive maintenance. It's this concept, evidently alien in these parts, that once something is built it needs to be maintained so it continues to function. Baling wire and duct tape are good for the short term, but in the long run don't work. Buildings, and the systems therein, require routine (boring) inspections to nip small malfunctions in the bud before they become more expensive problems. Records need to be kept and examined to see emerging pattern. These activities need to be budgeted for.
  • wow (29/12/2016, 18:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    another ndp success


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