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Gov’t depts on VG abandoned & forgotten; WSD a good example!

-Workers being forced to work half day, getting sick from mould
Conditions at the WSD facility. Photo: VINO
Abandoned truck at Virgin Gorda Water and Sewerage Department (WSD) outpost in Handsome Bay. Photo: VINO
Abandoned truck at Virgin Gorda Water and Sewerage Department (WSD) outpost in Handsome Bay. Photo: VINO
It is reported by staff that they only have one working vehicle with others down. Photo: VINO
It is reported by staff that they only have one working vehicle with others down. Photo: VINO
Poor conditions at the facility. Photo: Team of Reporters
Poor conditions at the facility. Photo: Team of Reporters
Following the storms, the container was destroyed and the WSD employees were left out in the elements. Photo: VINO
Following the storms, the container was destroyed and the WSD employees were left out in the elements. Photo: VINO
Workers are forced to work half day & complain of sickness caused by mould build-up, further, some government employees must work from the balcony while others under a tree. Photo: VINO
Workers are forced to work half day & complain of sickness caused by mould build-up, further, some government employees must work from the balcony while others under a tree. Photo: VINO
Workers were able to get someone to donate some plywood to build a makeshift shack, however, there is no restroom, kitchen, proper work stations and the plywood station is not conducive even for animals. Photo: VINO
Workers were able to get someone to donate some plywood to build a makeshift shack, however, there is no restroom, kitchen, proper work stations and the plywood station is not conducive even for animals. Photo: VINO
The Department is required to spend thousands of dollars on backhoe services. Photo: VINO
The Department is required to spend thousands of dollars on backhoe services. Photo: VINO
HANDSOME BAY, Virgin Gorda, VI - It is well known that the Sister Islands are treated badly and for the most part, ignored by the Tortola based Government of the Virgin Islands (VI).

Virgin Gorda for example, still do not have a bank after some five months plus despite many promises from the National Democratic Party (NDP1) regime.

Many of the Government Departments not housed at the Virgin Gorda Administration Complex (Vanterpool Building) are in disarray. Even the building located in Valley is mould infected and not fully repaired after being devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria of 2017.

Workers are forced to work half day & complain of sickness caused from mould build-up, further, some government employees must work from the balcony while others under a tree. However, both workers and residents say the NDP 1 Government cares very little about the situation.

WSD at Handsome Bay a Disgrace

One such area on Virgin Gorda that is a shame, is the Virgin Gorda Water and Sewerage Department (WSD) outpost in Handsome Bay. Even before Hurricanes Irma and Maria there was a makeshift container that housed the workers.

Following the storms, the container was destroyed and the WSD employees were left out in the elements. They were able to get someone to donate plywood to build a makeshift shack, however, there is no restroom, kitchen, proper work stations and the plywood station is not conducive even for animals.

In addition, the WDS outpost at Handsome Bay on Virgin Gorda (VG) is in disarray with no proper tools to work with.  It is reported by staff, that there is only one working vehicle with the others down.

This means that water meters cannot be read on time, broken pipes cannot be attended to and other routine duties cannot be facilitated.  They do not have a backhoe and the previous one has been out of commission for years.

Not Even Fit for Animals

Therefore, the department is required to spend thousands of dollars on backhoe services. The same worker told our newsroom “things at the outpost are really really bad... no one cares about us.”

Another worker speaking to our news centre on condition of anonymity stated that the conditions are bad and they have not seen the Minister [Mark H. Vanterpool] since 2011 nor the Director since 2018.

Director of the Water and Sewerage Department, Mrs Perline Scatliffe-Leonard could not be reached as of press time, we were told that she “was on vacation leave.”

15 Responses to “Gov’t depts on VG abandoned & forgotten; WSD a good example! ”

  • Smith (19/02/2019, 18:39) Like (21) Dislike (1) Reply
    Omg!!!!!!!!
  • Embarrassing (19/02/2019, 18:56) Like (20) Dislike (3) Reply
    it is a shame shame shame
  • bones (19/02/2019, 19:05) Like (27) Dislike (10) Reply
    Orlando Smith has no regrets. Darn reptibate.
  • wize up (19/02/2019, 19:05) Like (22) Dislike (2) Reply
    what will be done to correct all the issues: it is one thing to point out the issues but it takes substantial money to fix these matters: I understand economics and the mindset behind certain expenditure but our residents are being neglected(charity begins at home; after the neglect you want my vote) call the cruise passengers to vote for U(I gone for now!!!)
  • Joker (19/02/2019, 19:14) Like (10) Dislike (4) Reply
    TING TO TALK
  • time (19/02/2019, 19:41) Like (13) Dislike (52) Reply

    Is Government responsible for the decision made by Firstbank, CIBC First Caribbean bank, banco popular and scotia bank closes their doors for not having branches on VG. When First bank and first caribbean closed their doors the VIP was the goverment of the did anyone blame them. 

    Government have departments and a director appointed to run departments. So if the director do not know how to run a department then it is the respinsiblity of the minister to get rid of them.

    The way the public servants behave on government jobs when given a task 70% of them do not care how they perform their duties they behave in a manner that I here for just a pay check. How come the private sectors do not have these issues with job performance? Reason each employee is mandated to carry out their task because they now that each year their is a evalution.

    If government start to evaluate their employees from the head down we might get better perfomance with duties.

    • Kelso (20/02/2019, 05:18) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      All government employees get evaluated every year. Get your facts together before banging people. Some Private sector emoloyees got attutudes and are rude also. You have some hogs working in certain places who grin with tourists but are indeffrent locals. FYI.
    • VG CONCERN (20/02/2019, 13:04) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Those banks closed with NDP being power,,,they have been in power for 8 years, so check to see when the banks closed and do the Math...thank you..
  • FOR (19/02/2019, 19:45) Like (5) Dislike (9) Reply
    Who is the head of water and sewage right now are you saying that she is not effective? Are you saying that she does not know how to carryout her task?

    The minister of communication and works appointed her to run that department. She did a good job on tortola i guess VG was forgotten
    • Music (19/02/2019, 22:25) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
      How can you say she did a good job. They have not had any meters for three years, so cannot make any new connections. They have none on order and dont know when there will be, or if there is any money to order them. Ours got blown away by Irma and we cannot get water reconnected.
    • Notaship (20/02/2019, 00:07) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
      Are you kidding me....she ran water and sewerage into the ground...ask Michel Davis and Bernard Grant....she knows nothing....she took away the workers overtime allowance saying that she could get the guusbto work for free.....guess it backfired on her
      • Well (21/02/2019, 00:08) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        Davis and Grant are the ones who ran it down ask the esteem who his real engineers were. Nothing whatsoever to add
  • west end (19/02/2019, 20:03) Like (25) Dislike (3) Reply
    VG always forgotten until election time comes around and they need votes.Looking at those pictures is a disgrace to the lowest lever for a Government Department.Who the hell in they right mind works under that type condition?
  • ta ta (19/02/2019, 20:32) Like (25) Dislike (8) Reply
    Ndp must go
  • staff (20/02/2019, 07:48) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    They need to send back the esteemed to the water department, he did a good job


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