Gov’t workers less efficient under Governor
Government services in the Virgin Islands are being delivered at a sluggish pace because the civil service falls under the remit of the Governor’s Office rather than an elected representative, Juni...
Government services in the Virgin Islands are being delivered at a sluggish pace because the civil service falls under the remit of the Governor’s Office rather than an elected representative, Junior Minister for Financial Services, Trade and Economic Development Lorna Smith told the House of Assembly last week.
Smith argued that the current structure leaves civil servants unaccountable to the people they are meant to serve, which she said has resulted in long delays, inefficiency, and frustration across the territory. “There is insufficient accountability, coupled with a lack of urgency in delivering services to the public,” she said. “At the end of the day, public servants do their work, but to whom are they really accounting?” She pointed to the length of time it takes to process basic approvals, such as trade licences and non-belonger land holding licences, which many Virgin Islanders say can drag on for months. “I’m having district meetings, and there isn’t one district where I have not got complaints about the length of time it takes for a Virgin Islander to get a trade licence,” Smith said.
Recruitment into the public service is also bogged down, revealing that it now takes at least six months to complete a hire. The junior minister described the situation as untenable and pressed for a shift in responsibility. “The Bible itself is clear when it says, you cannot serve God and mammon.
You cannot serve two masters at the same time,” Smith told the House. “For this reason and the others I have mentioned, I repeat that it’s time to put the subject under a minister who has a better understanding of the needs of the people and a better appreciation of getting these things done promptly.” Smith also raised concerns about Crown land distribution in Anegada, which has been a flashpoint for discontent.
She noted that 50 titles, each for half an acre of land, have been pending for more than two years without a single one completed. “Fifty titles and not one can be completed over three years. Not one of these Anegadians can get their titles,” she said. “It is not good enough business.” The issue of Anegada lands has been the subject of repeated promises by successive governments.
Legislation passed in 2024 created a Crown Lands Board and an Anegada advisory committee to bring greater oversight and transparency to the process, but residents say the delays continue. Smith’s remarks tie into the ongoing constitutional review process, which has highlighted tensions between the Governor’s powers and the responsibilities of elected officials.
She insisted that structural reform is now overdue, echoing Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley’s view that the very design of the public service has rendered it ineffective.
Primary source: BVI News