'Budget speech politically charged!' – Hon Fraser
He lashed out at the Premier Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith’s statements on the Bi-Water project, saying that following the 2011 elections, the new Government had enough time to prepare for this and not being prepared is testimony to their incompetence.
“Madam Speaker, the Bi-Water contract has serious implications for our fiscal position,” said Dr Smith during his budget speech, while noting that water rates may increase.
“We are contractually obligated by the previous Government to pay some seventeen point four million dollars ($17.4MM) per year to Bi-Water, whether or not we consume the water, with the consequence of disenfranchising locally-owned water providers who now currently provide this service. We are also obligated to provide Bi-Water with electricity free of charge,” Dr Smith said.
“Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, the dramatic and prolonged impact of the Bi-Water commitment to the Territory’s budget may cause an increase in water rates. Be that as it may, I have honoured the tenets of the Bi-Water contract and I have done so because, doing otherwise, would have been more costly due to the construct of the negotiated contract and because we live in a country of laws--a country where this Government will always uphold the rules of good governance,” said the Premier.
However, Hon Fraser saw things differently and said the Bi-Water issue had no place in the budget speech.
“I think it was highly politically charged, and set out to bring up issues that had been brought up in the past, talking about Bi-Water, which had absolutely nothing to do with the budget. Government had three years to prepare for the eventuality of the [Bi-Water] project,” said Hon Fraser in a comment to this news site.
“The project is essentially five years behind and they are just finding a cover for their incompetence by not making preparation for it,” he said.
“I see nothing…no ‘wow’ in the budget. I see nothing that I would consider progressive…much of the same routine government execution of projects and intended execution of projects. I don’t see anything happening that is earth shattering,” said Fraser.
During the budget speech, Premier Smith had said “my Government has paid off all the bills created by my predecessors, and have honoured the commitments they created.”
However, with regard to the Premier making statements about debt from the previous administration that the National Democratic Party paid off, Hon Fraser challenged the Premier to bring the supplementary appropriation that he has sitting on, “and people would see where he reallocated funds from the various projects that were there in 2011,” he said.
“We would see what he did with the money and what he got in 2011, the $75 million that he inherited from our administration so he will see what he did with it,” said Hon Fraser.
30 Responses to “'Budget speech politically charged!' – Hon Fraser”
So you think behaving like a raging pitbull is what's needed in the BVI? He can carry on with all the nonsense he wants but the people want solutions and someone with common sense. Who are VIP? Who are they? We have Fraser and Fahie, who are the other 11? At least with NDP we know FROM NOW who and what we have to deal with for the most part. Boss go sit down, he will be seeing Red of course, NDP all the way, that's the red he seeing. Tell me how Fraser will be able to get folks from other districts to rally around him. It will not happen. All he did in his years is take care of his little click down in hog city and now they don't even have a pot to p..s in after all that money. VIP supporters in other districts can't stand the man. When are the VIP delegates going to admit they made a big mistake with putting him as Chairman?
The fact is that no one now has or had a legacy. Opportunities are given to make a legacy, and so it will be. It would be the same for you, you can't make a legacy, or a change or any difference if you are not given the opportunity to make a legacy! But you will hear in a while. Try don't p..s yourself off and get stressed out.
Can i be paid for my comment now please? thanks....
Gov, you will have to step up your game and collect from everybody who has a water meter.
In any event, Fraser was the minister in charge, if he wanted to buy a generator he could have, just like he signed the contract.
Biwater is just a bad contract.
Biwater will produce 2.8 million gallons of water per day at $16 per every thousand gallons.
Ocean conversion produces 800 Thousand gallons of water per day at $25 per every thousand gallons.
Government pays Biwater 13 million per year for water plus 4 million per year for electricity.
Government pays Ocean Conversion 12 million per year for water plus 3.1 million per year for electricity.
Also, Ocean Conversion has a Water Plant in East End. Ocean Conversion leases the land from Mr. Doll Penn. The Lease for the land per year is $750,000.
Government pays this amount as well.
So you tell me which deal is better?
And also who will supply more water for less?
Besides, every time electricity rates go up water companies adjust them rates. So government has to pay as well.