Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

COI Report: Gov’t ignored guidelines for procuring private office spaces

COI Report: Gov’t ignored guidelines for procuring private office spaces

The Commission of Inquiry (COI) report has indicated that authorities in the territory have been ignoring guidelines regarding the procurement of accommodation for government-run departments and offices.
The report zoned in on one guideline which indicates that government must not commence a lease until the property is ready for occupation. However, COI Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom found that the government has ignored this stipulation in multiple instances.

“Despite the Accommodation Guidelines emphasising the importance of not executing a lease until the premises are ready for occupation, there are several examples of significant gaps between the commencement date of the lease and the date of occupation,” the report states.

Sir Gary also indicated that the Premier’s Office also ignored the said guidelines when it leased part of Cutlass Tower for the Ministry of Finance to use following the September 2017 hurricanes. He said concerns were raised about the BVI government incurring financial obligations for some months in advance of occupation.

The report suggests problems normally arise with procurement of accommodations when the Deputy Governor’s Office (DGO) is excluded from the process, as it was regarding the lease of Cutlass Tower.

The report further stated that despite the guidelines, the procurement process can also be circumvented; as what happened with the lease for office space at the Tortola Pier Park for the Ministry of Finance.

“Whilst there were clearly strong mitigating circumstances, this lease did not go through the DGO. It was not signed by the Premier, and it does not appear to have been authorised by Cabinet. Moreover, the space was occupied for almost eight months before a written agreement was signed and the lease was somewhat belatedly vetted by the Attorney General,” the report indicated.

However, Commissioner Hickenbottom noted these are minor criticism of a system that appears relatively sound from a governance perspective. He noted there are policies and procedures to ensure transparency, accountability, and oversight of the government leasing privately-owned accommodation.

The report also noted the system has continued to evolve and develop with input from across the government over the years.

“Those responsible for the leasing of property by the BVI government, notably the senior public officers, are (like many other such officers in the public service) experienced and dedicated. There is no suggestion that, stretched as they might be, difficulties are encountered as a result of a lack of capacity or capability in respect of policy formulation and implementation,” the report said.

“Though no doubt, as with any system designed to deliver good governance, improvements can be made, on the evidence I have seen, the governance in relation to BVI government leases provides a good example of how the Public Service in the BVI is capable of developing and operating a coherent system that ensures a substantial degree of transparency and effective use of public money,” it continued.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×