‘Government wasting millions on rent’ — Lettsome

Territorial At-Large candidate Levor Lettsome has accused the government of wasting millions of dollars on rented offices while the Ralph T O’Neal Administration Complex remains out of full use. Lettsome, chairman of the Virgin Islands Innovative Association, said the continued rental expenditure showed that the government was not managing public funds wisely. “The country is in a mess. Twenty-eight million dollars in commercial rent. We should not be paying that,” Lettsome stated during an appearance on the Talking Points radio programme. Lettsome said the government rents numerous private properties, some of which carry substantial monthly costs. He referred to information that he said was disclosed in the House of Assembly in February. “The gentleman said it in the House of Assembly back up in February. We have a lot of rentals.

The government has a lot,” Lettsome stated. “They’re paying a bunch of money in rent. And these rental offices that these people paying is not like $2,000 or whatever. These people paying $16,000 and all kinds of thousands in rent every month. ” Lettsome argued that the government should have found better temporary arrangements to accommodate public officers while completing repairs to the Administration Complex. He suggested using properly outfitted containers at the compound as one possible short-term measure. “They could have found alternative ways to make sure that they aesthetically set up, even if they had to buy containers, whatever, and make the place look nice down there,” Lettsome stated. The complex sustained extensive damage during Hurricane Irma in September 2017, forcing several ministries and departments into rented accommodation across Tortola. The government previously announced…