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The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government has cut the Ministry of Communications and Works’ budget allocation by $4.8 million for 2027, amid persistent water shortages, road concerns and high electricity costs.
The ministry will receive $96.5 million, down from $101.3 million in the 2026 Budget, a reduction of approximately 4.7 per cent.
The decrease comes weeks after Minister for Communications and Works Kye Rymer said a $20 million injection was needed to fix the Territory’s water infrastructure and enable him to give residents a completion timeline.
Speaking on the Government’s Virgin Islands Voice programme on September 30, Rymer said the funding need had been identified when he entered office in 2019. Residents have continued to complain of unreliable supply, including days without water.
He attributed the problems to ageing pipes rather than insufficient production, and said successive budgets had provided only a few hundred thousand dollars at a time.
Announcing the 2027 allocation last week, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley said the funding would support the ministry’s infrastructure programme.
“The Ministry of Communications and Works will receive $96.5 million, reflecting the scale of the road, water, sewerage, and airport programme,” he stated.
“These investments must improve the journeys people make, the services homes and businesses rely on, and the connections through which opportunity reaches our islands. We must carry them through to working improvements in daily life.”
The Premier did not explain the reduction in those remarks or specify how it would affect individual programmes.
The ministry also faces continued pressure over electricity affordability. Unusually high August bills sparked public concern, prompting credits and further subsidies. The Government subsequently approved an additional $2.5 million to support electricity relief through the final three months of 2026.
For roads and related works, the Premier announced $18 million in the 2027 Budget, including $13 million in loan financing.
That funding will support road works, district civil mitigation, ghut cleaning and repairs, North Coast revetment, and road and asphalt-plant maintenance.
“Our goal remains thirty-four miles of roads across four main islands over three years, including West End to Road Town and Sister Island works,” Wheatley said.
He added that drainage, guardrails, markings and traffic calming would accompany a target to repair 90 per cent of identified road and sidewalk defects.
The ministry will receive $96.5 million, down from $101.3 million in the 2026 Budget, a reduction of approximately 4.7 per cent.
The decrease comes weeks after Minister for Communications and Works Kye Rymer said a $20 million injection was needed to fix the Territory’s water infrastructure and enable him to give residents a completion timeline.
Speaking on the Government’s Virgin Islands Voice programme on September 30, Rymer said the funding need had been identified when he entered office in 2019. Residents have continued to complain of unreliable supply, including days without water.
He attributed the problems to ageing pipes rather than insufficient production, and said successive budgets had provided only a few hundred thousand dollars at a time.
Announcing the 2027 allocation last week, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley said the funding would support the ministry’s infrastructure programme.
“The Ministry of Communications and Works will receive $96.5 million, reflecting the scale of the road, water, sewerage, and airport programme,” he stated.
“These investments must improve the journeys people make, the services homes and businesses rely on, and the connections through which opportunity reaches our islands. We must carry them through to working improvements in daily life.”
The Premier did not explain the reduction in those remarks or specify how it would affect individual programmes.
The ministry also faces continued pressure over electricity affordability. Unusually high August bills sparked public concern, prompting credits and further subsidies. The Government subsequently approved an additional $2.5 million to support electricity relief through the final three months of 2026.
For roads and related works, the Premier announced $18 million in the 2027 Budget, including $13 million in loan financing.
That funding will support road works, district civil mitigation, ghut cleaning and repairs, North Coast revetment, and road and asphalt-plant maintenance.
“Our goal remains thirty-four miles of roads across four main islands over three years, including West End to Road Town and Sister Island works,” Wheatley said.
He added that drainage, guardrails, markings and traffic calming would accompany a target to repair 90 per cent of identified road and sidewalk defects.
© 2026 BVI Platinum News. This article is original BVI Platinum content. Reproduction or republication without written permission is prohibited.
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