Before payment is made by or on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands of any sum or sums due on account of a contract for a public work, project or undertaking, the officer charged with the certification of payments applicable to the contract and pursuant to which payment is made, shall require the contractor and each and every subcontractor to file a statement in writing in form satisfactory to such officer, certifying the rate of hourly wage paid each classification of laborers, workmen or other persons employed by him on such work and further certifying that no such laborer, workman or other person has been paid less than the prevailing rate of wage specified in the contract, which certificate and statement to be so filed shall be verified by the oath of the contractor or subcontractor, as the case may be, that he has read such a statement and certificate subscribed by him and knows the contents thereof, and that the same is true to his knowledge.