Delayed Payments Threaten Rated Programme
Hosts of the Talking Points radio programme say late payments to RATED participants are undermining the initiative and risking the loss of young people from the scheme. They call on government to secure funds and fix payment bottlenecks that have affected the programme since 2024.
Concern over late payments to participants in the government’s RATED programme is mounting after hosts of the Talking Points radio show reported complaints from workers who say they have not received wages on time. Elvin Grant told listeners that young men and women working daily to clear vegetation and beautify the Territory have been repeatedly paid late. “They’re doing a phenomenal job cleaning up the island… they’ve come and they’ve said they’re not getting paid on time,” Grant said, adding that the programme had improved under Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather but still faces a payment bottleneck.
Co-host Damion Grange described slow payments as part of a broader problem across government sectors. “That’s an issue with government across the sectors. Launched in 2022, RATED (Registration, Apprenticeship, Training, Employment and Development) was created to give temporary employment and training to unemployed and under-employed Virgin Islanders and Belongers.
Work has included roadside cleaning and other public-works tasks that contribute directly to the Territory’s appearance and public health. Payment delays are not new to the initiative. In 2024 Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley acknowledged that the programme’s structure required contractors to obtain approval before work began and undergo inspection before payment, a process that has caused delays and prompted some participants to leave.
By that time more than 700 people had benefited from RATED. The government allocated $3 million to RATED in 2025 to cover participant payments, training and statutory contributions. That year the programme assisted 318 people from 419 applicants, including 297 placed in temporary roadside cleaning roles.
In January 2026, the government named Stacy Mather to head an advisory body overseeing a relaunch of the initiative. Community stakeholders say continued payment uncertainty undermines the programme’s objectives: steady income for participants, practical training, and sustained maintenance of public spaces.
Critics argue government should secure and ring-fence funds before assigning work, streamline approval and inspection steps, and establish a predictable payment schedule so participants are not left waiting while working in difficult conditions. As RATED efforts remain visible around the Territory, residents stand to lose both cleaner public spaces and the benefits of local employment if payment problems persist.
Programme organisers and government officials will need to act quickly to restore confidence and keep participants engaged.
Primary source: BVI News