Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Oct 17, 2025

New contract process cumbersome, slowing down execution of projects

New contract process cumbersome, slowing down execution of projects

Opposition Leader Julian Fraser has indicated that elected leaders are finding it difficult to deliver vital projects needed by constituents because of the new tendering requirements brought on by the United Kingdom (UK) to foster transparency within the BVI government.
Speaking as a telephone guest on Da Morning Braff programme on Tola Radio this week, Fraser was asked by panellist Dameon Percival to explain why residents are subjected to poor social infrastructure.

In response, Fraser said the measures put in place since the completion of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) have made it difficult for elected leaders to serve residents even though money has been set aside to complete certain projects.

“The funding is appropriated for projects but you can’t get the projects completed. Right now, I’m trying to get a project executed for a year now and if it’s completed by the end of the year, I doubt the contractor will get paid. The system right now is so cumbersome,” Fraser stated.

“If you have a project to execute, you have to go through some mini form bidding process instead of issuing a petty contract as it was in the past. The contractors now have to be registered at the Ministry of Finance, it takes forever,” the Opposition Leader added.

Since the Commission of Inquiry recommended that the BVI implement reforms to improve governance, residents have been complaining that it seems elected representatives have stopped spending money on public infrastructure and are instead spending money on governance measures ordered by the UK.

Fraser said residents should be aware that money is there to deliver projects needed by the community. But with the new tendering systems the government has to use to issue contracts, projects that would ordinarily be completed in a month are now taking much longer.

“This is a new way brought on by the criticisms that have been placed on the territory. Everyone is afraid to do anything. Those petty contracts were put in place to expedite and for efficiency. You can’t do that anymore,” Fraser said. He also said going through a formal tendering process when issuing contracts facilitates transparency but not efficiency.

The contract issuing process was one of the major issues identified by the COI. Elected leaders were told to stop issuing tender waivers and instead opt for a formal tendering process to facilitate transparency.

Since then, the UK government has expressed that it believes the BVI is still indiscriminately issuing tender waivers for government contracts. However, elected leaders have disputed this claim.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×