Lettsome Slams Government Office Rental Spending
Territorial At-Large candidate Levor Lettsome has voiced strong criticism over the government spending millions of dollars on rented commercial spaces while the central administration complex remains underutilised. He argued that public funds are being mismanaged through costly private leases that have accumulated since Hurricane Irma. Lettsome called for greater fiscal responsibility and faster completion of repairs to public infrastructure.
Territorial At-Large candidate Levor Lettsome has strongly criticised the government for spending millions of dollars on private office rentals while the Ralph T. O’Neal Administration Complex remains out of full operation. Speaking on the Talking Points radio programme, the chairman of the Virgin Islands Innovative Association argued that the sustained high expenditure represents poor management of public funds.
Lettsome stated that public records referenced in the House of Assembly earlier this year revealed the territory has accumulated an estimated $28 million in commercial rent expenses. He pointed out that multiple ministries and departments are housed across Tortola in privately owned properties that command steep monthly rates, with some individual leases costing taxpayers more than $16,000 every month.
The central administration building sustained extensive structural damage during Hurricane Irma in September 2017, forcing the widespread displacement of public officers into commercial properties across the island. Although the government previously projected that completing repairs and fully reoccupying the complex would reduce annual rental costs by approximately $2 million, the building has yet to return to full capacity.
Lettsome argued that the administration should have explored more cost-effective transitional measures while restoration works were underway. He suggested that establishing well-outfitted modular office units on the complex grounds would have provided a practical interim solution while preventing tens of millions of dollars from leaving the public purse.
Linking the substantial rental outflow to the territory's wider borrowing decisions and financial management, Lettsome stressed that the funds spent since 2017 could have addressed other critical public needs. He urged policymakers to exercise greater financial discipline, emphasizing that public revenue must be used to create lasting national assets rather than ongoing liabilities.
Primary source: BVI News