The Government has set aside an additional $2.5 million to subsidise electricity costs for households through the end of 2026, Minister of Communications and Works Kye Rymer disclosed on September 30.
Rymer told listeners of the Government's Virgin Islands Voice programme that Cabinet had already signed off on the money, which will be formally presented to lawmakers the following week as part of a supplementary appropriation package. He credited the Premier and Minister of Finance for securing the funds.
The relief is intended to lighten the load on families as the Christmas period approaches. The Government has historically offered fuel assistance during the festive season over the past several years, Rymer noted, though he emphasised that support would begin immediately rather than wait until December.
"We will be offering that subsidy for the rest of the year with the monies that Cabinet has already approved and the SAP that will be taken to the House next week, so that we can finalise it," Rymer said.
The move comes after weeks of public anger over electricity charges. A three-month, $3 million subsidy programme expired in June. When August bills arrived without the discount, residents voiced strong complaints. The British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation later clarified that the final subsidy had been applied to June statements, while August bills covered July consumption, a period when fuel costs reached historic highs.
In response, the Government arranged a credit for August overages and placed a subsidy directly onto September bills. Opposition Leader Marlon Penn had called in August for the subsidy to be restored and extended through year-end, pointing out that households already squeezed by inflation could not manage steeper power costs.
"The Government cannot balance its books on the backs of struggling families," Penn stated. He also cautioned that credits issued later would be of little use to people unable to settle their bills right away.
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