Marlon Penn
Opposition legislator Marlon Penn has revealed that the Public Works Department in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) remains without a proper office building nearly seven years after Hurricane Irma destroyed its headquarters in 2017.
During a recent NDP Radio broadcast, Penn criticised the prolonged delay, describing it as “a travesty” and a clear example of poor management and lack of planning within the territory’s infrastructure system.
“Public Works building was damaged since 2017. They haven’t rebuilt it,” Penn stated. “The public works administrative offices have not been rebuilt. The trees are growing through the building,” he added.
According to Penn, staff are still operating from makeshift spaces that are not designed to accommodate the department’s needs. “All of them are crammed up in a space,” he explained. “We are much better than this.”
Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, caused widespread destruction in the Virgin Islands. While several public buildings have since been repaired or rebuilt, Penn said it is unacceptable that a department tasked with maintaining the territory’s infrastructure is still without a permanent home.
Meanwhile, Opposition lawmaker Ronnie Skelton argued that the issue stems from broader problems in the civil service. “We have basically put the civil service system to sleep,” Skelton stated.
Penn’s comments come amid ongoing concerns about delays in major road and infrastructure projects across the territory despite the availability of a $100 million loan secured for recovery and development. Penn warned that inefficient use of borrowed funds could worsen the territory’s fiscal position.
“If that money is not spent, we would have spent money on interest on a loan but money just sitting in the bank,” Penn said. “We’re already seeing the effects of poor planning.”
He also questioned the status of other government buildings. “Why is the central admin complex not finished?” Penn asked.
Despite the grim assessment, Penn said the territory still has a chance to recover if leadership steps up. “We don’t have a money problem, we have a management problem,” he argued.
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