Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

Double dipping! Audit finds same grant issued multiple times

Double dipping! Audit finds same grant issued multiple times

A lack of cross-ministry communication and collaboration in government assistance grant programmes meant that applicants received assistance from multiple programmes for the same purpose, with some receiving even more funds than requested in some instances.
This was revealed in the report of an audit conducted into Public Assistance Grant programmes controlled by lawmakers and government ministries between January 2019 and May 2022 and submitted in December 2022 by the government’s Internal Audit Department (IAD).

Over $10M awarded by former Premier alone

Over the period, the government awarded over $22.9 million in assistance grants across three ministries and the House of Assembly (HOA), with the lion’s share of that disbursement – some $10.7 million or 47 per cent – being awarded solely by former Premier Andrew Fahie. The audit also found that 39 per cent was awarded by 13 members of the House of Assembly.

The audit, which was conducted by the government’s Internal Audit Department (IAD) and submitted in December 2022, showed that, for the most part, the transfer of these funds were not governed by any financial rules contained in any legislation or other financial instructions approved by the government or handed down by any administrative body.

It was further noted that none of the programmes have any eligibility criterion which meant that persons from all social classes applied for and received assistance from all the programmes.

“Although all public finance is governed by the rules of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, 2004 and Public Finance Management Regulations, 2005, expenditure under Assistance Grants Programmes are not specifically governed by these rules,” the audit report noted.

Duplicated grant programmes

The review found that these grants programmes are duplicative in nature and noted that recently drafted guidelines for administration of the Premier Office’s grants programme are almost identical to the guidelines used for the House of Assembly.

The report found no transparent reasoning why multiple programmes would exist that support the same purpose.

Citing the example of educational assistance grants, the audit showed that such grants were not only administered by the Ministry of Education, but could also be obtained from the Premier’s Office and the House of Assembly.

According to the report, housing assistance in the wake of the hurricanes of 2017 was offered through the Housing and Recovery Programme administered by the Ministry of Health and Social Development.

But the audit showed that the same assistance could be obtained through the Ministry of Communications and Works and the Premier’s Office as well as the House of Assembly.

The programmes also lacked, for the most part, any limitation on the amounts that can be awarded whether individually (one-time award) or collectively (multiple awards to same applicant) during a specified timeframe. As a result, some applicants received in excess of $50,000 in a single payment, the report showed.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
×