Luce Hodge-Smith, Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism, has acknowledged that weak systems within government create unnecessary hold-ups on major capital works, even as she argued that administrative oversight remains vital to public delivery.
Speaking on the Honestly Speaking radio programme on Tuesday, November 3, Hodge-Smith addressed concerns about progress on the DeCastro Street Sidewalk Improvement Project, managed by the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA).
While the public often criticises bureaucratic processes, Hodge-Smith said they serve a necessary function. "There is a lot of bureaucracy, and I've said it before: bureaucracy is good, and it's not so good sometimes, because without bureaucracy, you really wouldn't get the things that you need done, because it is bureaucrats that are going to do the work," she said.
The core issue, she argued, is not red tape itself but how it is managed. "But it's the systems and processes that you have in place, and if they're not used properly, in order for you to be efficient in what you're doing, then there are delays," she explained.
Hodge-Smith also noted that unforeseen obstacles regularly derail timelines. "When you think that you are fully engaged and ready to move forward, something happens and you have to deal with it. And then, the project goes on and on," she said.
The Road Town Development Partnership, currently in planning and design phases, seeks to transform the capital with better pedestrian access, public spaces, waterfront improvements, signage, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
The RDA structure offers a practical advantage, Hodge-Smith suggested. Channelling funds through the agency rather than directly via government ministry budgets provides dedicated resources and reduces complexity. "And the good thing about being in the RDA is that you have bureaucracy all over in government systems and in the RDA as well. But at least the funding is there, and it could be used," she said.
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