Foolishness! Lettsome Slams 'Basket Of Goods', Calls For Food Stamp-Style Assistance

The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government is failing struggling families on the social front and should replace its basket of goods approach with a carefully monitored assistance programme similar to the United States food stamp system, according to Levor Lettsome.

Lettsome, leader of the Virgin Islands Innovative Association (V.I.I.A.) and a prospective At-Large candidate in the next general elections, made the comments on the Talking Points radio programme on September 7.

“There are people out there in the community. We have not been doing a good job on the social level,” Lettsome said, pointing to residents who have lost their jobs and are struggling to meet their basic needs.

He questioned why residents must continue relying on food baskets and proposed an electronic card that would be credited monthly to allow qualifying families to purchase groceries.

“They call it in the United States food stamps, but we don’t have to call it that. We can call it supplementary assistance or something,” he stated.

Lettsome said such a system would spare vulnerable residents the discomfort of repeatedly visiting the Social Development Department and feeling judged while seeking assistance.

His comments came days after the Government announced a review of its Protected Basket of Goods Initiative, which ran from May 1 to July 31 as part of its cost-of-living relief measures.

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley and Minister for Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation Lorna Smith met supermarket representatives and government agencies on September 4. They agreed to examine pricing, import and shopping data and identify the essential goods families purchase most frequently before deciding whether to continue or modify the programme.

The review comes as households face rising food, fuel, electricity and other living expenses. The Government has faced criticism that its management of the economy and relief measures have not adequately addressed the financial pressure on ordinary residents.

Lettsome also criticised the proposed DeCastro Street Sidewalks Improvement Project, arguing that the more than $700,000 earmarked for the works could have been directed towards social assistance.

People Have Lost Trust

He further accused the Government of making major decisions without sufficiently involving residents, particularly on constitutional matters.

“I think we should have had a referendum so the people could have been a part of that holistic discussion,” he said.

Lettsome suggested that poor public participation in the constitutional review process reflected a broader loss of trust in the Territory’s leadership.

“People have lost trust,” he stated. “When you hear people saying, ‘I am tired, and I don’t want to have anything to do with that,’ or ‘I want to leave this country,’ that says a lot about how people feel about the overall management of the country.”

He also argued that the Territory’s finances are not being properly managed.