Rymer Defends Utilities Merger
Works Minister Kye Rymer says the Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation Bill 2026 aims to modernise and streamline electricity, water and sewage services by bringing them under one statutory body. The proposal would create VIEWCO, maintain separate business units for energy and water, and include provisions for employee protections, road works and financial oversight.
Works Minister Kye Rymer has defended the government’s plan to merge the Water and Sewage Department with the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC), saying the move is intended to modernise utility services and tackle long-standing inefficiencies. The Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation Bill 2026, currently before the House of Assembly, would rename BVIEC and expand its mandate to form the Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation (VIEWCO).
VIEWCO would be responsible for electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as well as water supply and sewage services, operating these as separate business units under a single board and chief executive officer. Government members backing the legislation argued in debate that the merger would allow the two utilities to share resources and technical expertise, enable coordinated planning, and improve long-term sustainability and oversight of essential services.
The bill also gives the proposed corporation authority over renewable energy licensing, interconnection policies, watershed management and sewage systems. The legislation contains specific operational and financial safeguards. It requires VIEWCO to keep separate accounts for its energy and water business units and to submit to annual audits and reporting.
Provisions in the bill outline the corporation’s powers to manage infrastructure and enter contracts on behalf of the utilities. Clause 37 addresses road works and infrastructure repairs, stating that the corporation may “break up any road and may erect transmission lines across, along, under, or over such road,” while requiring that works be completed with “reasonable dispatch” and that roads be reinstated and rubbish removed after completion.
These details aim to balance infrastructure access with protections for public roadways. Section 68 provides that officers transferring to VIEWCO will move “upon terms and conditions, including any tax benefits not less favourable in aggregate than those which were attached to the appointment held” under government.
Transferred employees would have six months to elect whether to remain with the corporation, return to another government department subject to vacancy, or be deemed retired under specified conditions. The bill is now under consideration in the House of Assembly. If passed, it would represent a major restructuring of how utilities are managed in the Territory.
Residents and employees are likely to watch closely for details on service delivery, pricing, job security and environmental safeguards as the debate continues.
Primary source: BVI News