Gov’t owes $22M in unpaid vendor vouchers

Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn has raised concerns about nearly twenty-two million dollars in unpaid government vouchers owed to vendors. He warned that the growing backlog is putting significant strain on small businesses and negatively impacting the wider economy.

Speaking during a recent House of Assembly sitting, Penn questioned the government’s fiscal management, noting the gap between revenue and expenditure.

“The open vouchers are in the range of $22 million that’s owed to struggling small businesses in this territory that need the money,” Penn stated. “We cannot be at this stage in May and owing $22 million to businesses, to persons who are struggling and need this money.”

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley confirmed that $21,896,677.73 in vendor vouchers remain open in the government’s accounting system for the period 1 January 2022 to 30 April 2025. However, he explained that not all open vouchers indicate completed work. “Some of those open vouchers represent contracts where works will be completed,” Dr Wheatley stated. “It shouldn’t be assumed just because we have open vouchers in the system, that it means that persons are owed money for works completed.”

Penn pressed further, asking if the Premier could guarantee that vendors would be paid before the end of the month. “Can you assure the people of the Virgin Islands who are owed this money that their payments could be settled by the end of this month?” he asked.

The Premier acknowledged the concern but stopped short of making a firm commitment. “We do take too long to pay vendors in many instances,” he conceded. “It has to be a reconciliation exercise to see actually which one of those open vouchers represents monies which need to be paid to vendors.”

As of April 2025, the government had collected $102.8 million in revenue and spent $119.2 million — a deficit not including the nearly $22 million in outstanding payments. When questioned about the shortfall, Dr Wheatley pointed to the seasonal nature of revenue, noting that large inflows typically occur in May and June from financial services.

Still, Penn was not convinced. “If it’s $10 million or $1 million, it’s too much money owed to vendors and struggling small businesses and individuals who need their money in a time like this,” he asserted. “We have to ensure that persons are paid.”

The government has not yet provided a timeline for clearing the unpaid vouchers.