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$$ for teachers' dinner could have paid ‘school bus’ drivers- Opposition

- Taxi drivers were owed some $103K for transporting schoolchildren
The sum of $103,160.00 owed to taxi drivers of the Territory for transporting high school students sparked an interesting debate during the Third Sitting of the Third Session of the Second House of Assembly on December 17, 2013. Photo: VINO/File
Members for the Third and First Districts, Honourable Julian Fraser, RA (right) and Honourable Andrew A. Fahie cornered Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron V. Walwyn on issues of payments owed to taxi drivers and lavish spending on a teachers' dinner. Photo: VINO/File
Members for the Third and First Districts, Honourable Julian Fraser, RA (right) and Honourable Andrew A. Fahie cornered Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron V. Walwyn on issues of payments owed to taxi drivers and lavish spending on a teachers' dinner. Photo: VINO/File
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn said he was not prepared to be made a 'clown' in the House of Assembly yesterday December 17, 2013. Photo: VINO/file
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn said he was not prepared to be made a 'clown' in the House of Assembly yesterday December 17, 2013. Photo: VINO/file
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Debate surrounding some $103,160.00 owed to taxi drivers of the Territory for transporting high school students touched on some nerves during the Third Sitting of the Third Session of the Second House of Assembly on December 17, 2013.

The debate, which can be described as “tacky”, stemmed from a three-part question posed to the Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn by Member for the Third District Honourable Julian Fraser, RA which sought answers about monies owed to taxi drivers for transporting high school children.  

Clarifications were sought from both Hon. Fraser and Member for the First District Hon. Andrew A. Fahie if monies for the $100,000 teachers’ dinner could have better been used for paying the drivers had the Minister known of the debt. This prompted a response from Hon. Walwyn, “I don’t intend to be a clown in the House of Assembly…”

Hon. Fraser described the response as ‘evasive’; nonetheless, he thanked the Minister for his response.

Simply put to the Minister for Education in a supplementary question by Hon Fraser if he had informed the Minister of Finance about the arrears for the bus drivers, Hon. Walwyn responded, “Madam Speaker as I said I cannot say that, there is an accounting officer in the Ministry who is aware of it and I am sure she would have contacted the Ministry of Finance.”

Hon. Walwyn insisted that the bus drivers got caught in an “unfortunate situation” following the suggestion by Hon Fraser that had Hon. Walwyn known of the situation some of the monies put into the reserve fund could have been used to settle the debt to the taxi drivers.

“It was caused by the reckless management of the finances of this country of which the member who is asking this question was a very relevant part of that….” Hon. Walwyn responded.

The Education Minister told the House that the last date for which drivers were paid for transporting high school students prior to last week was July 2013. “Last week’s payment was delayed due to the fact that contracts were signed late ….”

As is the obvious trend of members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) government, Hon. Walwyn threw the blame once again at the feet of the former Virgin Island Party (VIP) government, noting that the taxi drivers, like many other creditors, had to wait an extended time for their payments because of the alleged poor financial condition of the country which the present government inherited upon taking office following the 2011 elections.

“Madam Speaker, this NDP Government upon taking office met a total of 40.6 million dollars in outstanding commitments. Madam Speaker, as of today this figure has been reduced to somewhere in the region of 12.9 million dollars and the Minister of Finance expects to have all the bills settled by the end of this year 2013,” said the Education and Culture Minister.  

Hon. Fahie then interjected, noting that it was obvious that the drivers weren’t paid because of negligence in doing their contracts. “They would have had the money Madam Speaker because the Minister assured that he had saving…for the teachers’ dinner, so that if he was aware he could have put that money for the paying of the bus drivers,” Hon. Fahie opined.

“Madam Speaker, I must apologise to the taxi drivers who take our students to school for the late payments being made to them,” Hon. Walwyn had said as he opened in his response.

21 Responses to “$$ for teachers' dinner could have paid ‘school bus’ drivers- Opposition”

  • tola (18/12/2013, 08:01) Like (4) Dislike (12) Reply

    Hon Myron please jus go back to Antigua 

    • Go back! (18/12/2013, 14:05) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
      Why don't you all go back to Africa and leave this place to the Caribs and Arawaks, they would make a better job of keeping the place decent.
    • Bev (23/12/2013, 18:59) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      These teachers deserve a dinner and more having to deal with your rude kids that you don't want to be bothered with all day. Some of you use school as a baby sitting place and never help your kids when they are home. I say Good for the Teachers.
  • wise up (18/12/2013, 08:03) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
    the NDP is all about image and not taking care of the citzens of the BVI
  • question (18/12/2013, 08:31) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply
    How long is that bogus line going work blaming the vip for ndp incompetence and failure eh?
  • Teacher (18/12/2013, 09:05) Like (4) Dislike (8) Reply
    As a teacher it was a well deserved dinner. I hope there is one again this year
    • fair is fair (18/12/2013, 10:41) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
      Agreed. A celebration dinner for teachers is well deserved (although it cannot be at any cost whatsoever, and the catering needs to be spread around). Asserting that the money used on this dinner, should have been spent on taxi drivers belittles both.
      The teachers deserves their dinner and taxi drivers need to be paid, full stop, not one or the other.
      • Concerned (18/12/2013, 13:00) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
        I suggest it is always best to settle current responsibilities before creating others. Take care of monies owed to Taxi Drivers and other bills then treat the well deserving teachers.
    • Me (19/12/2013, 13:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      They all done went to the bathroom the next day where is the $100000.00 .sure if their got it on their pay their will be happy
  • Nice (18/12/2013, 09:17) Like (2) Dislike (10) Reply
    How much longer must we hear about that dinner? Hon. Frazer and Hon. Fahie, if you are still so peeved by the matter, kindly move a motion to have the money taken from the teachers' salaries or just hush about it.
  • Wait a minute (18/12/2013, 09:33) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    The bus drivers were paid from Jan-June 2013 but now that they have not been paid from that time to now the Minister is blaming the VIP? Man give me a break. The NDP think we stupidy or what? Why the Minister don't pay the bus drivers from the money he paying his speech writer one hundred thousand dollars and his crony to write a useless book for $100,000.
  • Hmm (18/12/2013, 10:00) Like (10) Dislike (6) Reply

    I hope they realize that Teachers vote as well so this gets them no where. The Government need to pay the drivers but the Teachers should not be thrown under the bus by the Opposition looking for points. This is just sickening. Lobby for the drivers without bringing the Teachers in the mess. They deserve their dinner and I hope they get a bigger one in 2014. Just because Andrew tried multiple times to do the same dinner and could never pull it off, he's here talking nonsense. The man who spent over $600K on drag race and med school mess. That could've paid the drivers for 6yrs too. 

    • I agree (18/12/2013, 10:32) Like (7) Dislike (4) Reply

      None of the parties or Ministers acted or acting responsibly. They all spent recklessly and none of them can move forward. When the NDP ministers get up, all the crap they can talk about is when we were in office, when we left office and blaa blaa, when Frazer and Fahie get up, all you hear is when we were in office and we left office. Move on. Its like a man and a woman in a relationship and all they can talk to each other about is when they had another woman or man. We need to move on. All of them creating a financial mess. The food the teachers eat done gone the sewage and life goes on.

  • my 2 cents (18/12/2013, 10:49) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    The Minister should have just given the Teachers a nice increment. $700.00 - $1,200.00 for each teacher who deserved it. $99k wasn't necessary. That's just to expensive.

    At Eslyn Henley Ritchiez Learning Centre teachers have to teach in hallways. The centre needs to be expanded. I say they hire Special Education Teachers and place at least two in each school and expanded Eslyn Henley.

    Sometimes I have to wonder if I am living in a third world country. strupssssssss
    • Caren (18/12/2013, 17:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I like the special ed. idea. However, you need to rethink the incentive idea. Paying 400 teachers $700-$1200 would certainly amount to more than $99, 000. I don't think tax payers would have been happy about that either.
  • Virgin Son (18/12/2013, 11:37) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    The only hope of we taxi man dem is elections coming soon
  • Concerned (18/12/2013, 13:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The boss will have the final say come next Election Day
  • next (18/12/2013, 16:33) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    always blaming the VIP like Barack blaming bush
  • T.M (18/12/2013, 17:15) Like (0) Dislike (5) Reply
    I remember a few years back when Hon. Fahie tried to host a dinner for teachers. The teachers and Andrew Fahie arrived at Long Bay Hotel, only to find out that plans for the dinner were not confirmed. Therefore, the hotel did not prepare for the dinner. Can you imagine how upset Hon. Fahie was? Can you imagine how embarrased he was? Yes, he was so embarrassed that he apologized, then invited all the teachers in the BVI to a government sponsored dinner a few weeks later. Isn't this a perfect example of the kettle (Andrew) calling the pot (Myron) black?
    • trrefdrfds (19/12/2013, 07:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ T.M.

      You full well know that their cowbird supporters thwarted the plans of Minister Fahie in not confirming that dinner to the hotel but they told him otherwise....C'mon man
  • pppppp (18/12/2013, 21:23) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Good Move Minister


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