Are Fahie & Fraser trying to embarrass the gov’t? – Cromwell Smith asks
Co-host Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru on the other hand, felt the two legislators, First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie and Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA have raised valid concerns.
“[Hon. Fraser] knows that the government is a major revenue earner in the Territory… and he knows that in order for the economy to grow and to have meaningful activity, a lot of the money that comes from the financial services sector in particular needs to be channelled into the country to create economic activity,” Smith argued.
He contended that one of the ways governments have done this is by means of infrastructural development and capital projects and one of the ways used to circulate funds on a wider basis is taking it into components and stretching it around to contractors so that “everybody gets a piece of the pie”.
Smith said Hon. Fraser’s claims that government campaigned against contract splitting is an inaccurate statement and suggested that there is a difference between contract splitting and bid splitting.
“The government campaigned against bid splitting. Bid splitting is when you take one contract and divide it into smaller contracts so that you can give it to one contractor without having to go through a bidding process,” he argued.
Smith further reasoned that contract splitting occurs when a contract is divided into smaller contracts so that you can give it to a wider set of contractors.
“[With] bid splitting, you just take the bid and break it up into smaller sections so that you could give it to the same contractor and you don’t have to go through the bidding process because each process is less than a hundred thousand dollars… over a hundred thousand dollars you have to have a tendering process,” he said.
“They definitely campaigned on the lack of a tendering process… I would say both governments have been guilty of that. There are a number of contracts that have gone out this administration that have not been tendered,” Wheatley asserted.
Smith asked in being aware of the importance of giving everyone a piece of the pie, “Why is [Hon. Fraser] trying to embarrass the government into not giving everybody a piece of the action as a result of a protocol that I’m not sure that he is interpreting correctly or he’s interpreting conveniently? Why is he speaking out against contractors getting a piece of the action? Is it to embarrass the government or is he seeking power? Is he trying to hurt the contractors? I don’t understand the purpose of that.”
Wheatley said the people of the Virgin Islands need to pay attention to the whole process of awarding contracts and said they deserve better value for money than what they have gotten so far.
“I don’t think that Hon. Fraser is saying that he doesn’t want contractors to get a piece of the pie,” Wheatley offered, “I wouldn’t say that that’s the conflict. I think the conflict is moreso seeking to point out ways in which he feels perhaps the NDP have been hypocritical.”
“That’s my point, hypocritical to what goal, to what end?” Smith asked, “Hypocritical to the benefit of the country or hypocritical to your quest for power? That’s my concern.”
20 Responses to “Are Fahie & Fraser trying to embarrass the gov’t? – Cromwell Smith asks”
Me aint want to hear a thing from Cromwell he has no credibility! When the VIP was in what the hell he aint talk about his continued criticism about the VIP...because he got hush $%^&*$ now he change his tune...that is why no one studying he…
It is quite obvious that S**** is a sell-out and a cr**k. He was loud mouthing the NDP up until he got $35K to "Hush". With option for renewal. No, as he claimed he didn't beg for it, but he accepted it. That's okay. For what? He is now trying to fool people into believing he defending them? Corruption at play. Swonde, watch your back. You are known by the company you keep. Don't cruise on that ship with him. You are hereby being warned.
He has demonstrated that he is a man who cannot be trusted. On the alleged receipt of that $38,000 dollar contract from Government Cromwell has been as one sided as a drunkin sailor man. I cannot believe that this man is so spineless.
Let C... go sit down from talking piddle. He is a full NDP & everyone knows this. He now trying to carry out NDP's dirty work of trying to discredit Fahie & Fraser. I never heard him dissing NDP when they were in the Opposition criticising all day with no solutions but he want to jump on the only two persons who keeping we the public informed of how the NDP selling us out to their rich friends again but in a more sophisticated manner this time. C.. is a real "sell out".