Businessman blasts Govt. on recent street sweeper acquisition
The businessman and owner of Roadside Equipment Services Ltd is calling on Government to exhibit more transparency following the recent revelation and an explanation for the inconsistency in handing out contracts to him over the years given the fact that he has a similar equipment.
“I would have never invested this kind of money for this kind of equipment,” said Todman as he explained that even persons in the Caribbean taking such risks usually have the assurance of some sort of reliable contract to work with. According to Todman, he is currently the only private citizen in the Territory in possession of a similar equipment and felt undermined by Government’s recent acquisition.
He explained that he was given the go ahead to purchase his equipment in 2004 and ever since then has only been receiving contracts on a sporadic basis, with most extending to three months at a time each year. The entrepreneur further stated that he was the first person in the Territory to have brought such equipment to the Virgin Islands and as a result of this received what he termed ‘pioneer status’ for the venture.
Mr Todman explained that he was experiencing difficulty re-paying the loan for the machine considering the nine months in each year that his machine was left stagnant and this also heavily affected the maintenance of the machine. Wear and tear on the machine was something he had not expected to endure in this manner given the constant down time. “People won’t know that it’s a three-month contract and that’s it until they feel like giving you a contract again,” he related, “it’s more pressure on the machine.”
Todman said he was given all assurance that he would have received regular contracts once he had purchased the equipment but to date has only twice received a six-month contract in any given year over an eight-year period.
He further stated that he has written several letters to various government departments with little to no success regarding the inconsistency and has been constantly frustrated over the years by the lack of responses and "empty promises" to have the matter dealt with.
The businessman complained of feeling victimised and undermined.
According to Todman, as a small business man, he would not benefit from the same guarantees that a government operated machine would with regard to contracts and maintenance since securing parts and effecting maintenance are much more difficult given his situation. He stated that even though his machine was down at the moment, this offered no excuse for the way contracts were delivered in the past.
“It’s not about the small business man anymore,” Todman asserted, “… they don’t care who they knock off or they take out.”
He also questioned the reasons for not extending a contract similar to garbage disposal companies since the functions were similar in nature to his business. Todman added that he has been given a ‘run around’ regarding what was going on with his contract with the government when he requested meetings with various officials.
Asked whether he felt the situation was discouraging for other entrepreneurs, he replied, “It’s a scary situation… even though you’re setting a trend… governments change but [whether or not you’re] in favour with them, they find a way to make you suffer… they don’t care.”
Further, he claimed that payments for work he has done in the past have come after long delays with several months elapsing from time to time before he actually received payment.
Todman also stated that the machine should not only be seen as a measure for the tourism industry, but also for fellow Virgin Islanders, “Let’s not do it for the tourists alone, let’s do it for us, because we live right here… you don’t know what kind of diseases and germs we could pick up,” he said.
He claimed that there was much more to the situation than what met the eye and an explanation was needed about what government’s true intentions really were.
45 Responses to “Businessman blasts Govt. on recent street sweeper acquisition”
To many of our people expect to sit on their behinds and receive contracts from government to sustain their businesses. Go and approach hotel, guest houses, etc and see if the service is needed.
We as BVIslanders need to be proactive and not wait for others to push and provide work for us. Get up out your playroom and go out and seek contracts from other sources. Whose fault it is that your machine has been parked up for months with no work, the government? No it's your fault, seek other sources of income, maintain your machines regularly so if you do get a contract from other sources, you wouldn't loose them because you can't provide the service.
As a BVIslander, I am sick and tired of us just wanting to sit on our behinds and expect the government to give us work. We want the government to cut expenses and manage their finances better but we also want them to pay us for things they already have people hired to do. They can't continue to do both.
You are one sorry **** who should stay off VINO. The readers here don't need your type. Go to that other site where hyprocrets like yourself find a good life.
Que boy don't give up. The NDP won't be around much longer.
But I thought this was the party of the business man? See I done tell ayo NDP full of it…$#!t bad for the little man bad for indigenous people!
Any fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest trade practice that is prohibited by statute, regulation, or the Common Law.
The law of unfair competition serves five purposes. First, the law seeks to protect the economic, intellectual, and creative investments made by businesses in distinguishing themselves and their products. Second, the law seeks to preserve the good will that businesses have established with consumers. Third, the law seeks to deter businesses from appropriating the good will of their competitors. Fourth, the law seeks to promote clarity and stability by encouraging consumers to rely on a merchant's good will and reputation when evaluating the quality of rival products. Fifth, the law seeks to increase competition by providing businesses with incentives to offer better goods and services than others in the same field.
Although the law of unfair competition helps protect consumers from injuries caused by deceptive trade practices, the remedies provided to redress such injuries are available only to business entities and proprietors. Consumers who are injured by deceptive trade practices must avail themselves of the remedies provided by state and federal Consumer Protection laws. In general, businesses and proprietors injured by unfair competition have two remedies: injunctive relief (a court order restraining a competitor from engaging in a particular fraudulent or deceptive practice) and money damages (compensation for any losses suffered by an injured business).
“(O)n a whole range of issues, there has been a massive popular shift in public opinion toward a progressive critique of the current political economic system. It is, of course, largely subliminal, not carefully worked out, and lacks a coherent vision for what needs to be done -- but there can be little doubt that this shift has happened, and is deepening. People are increasingly disenchanted, and they are hungry for alternatives.”
Everyone knows that products made in China cannot be compared to those made in the USA or Europe. It is only a matter of time before the cock crows.
when there was the liberalization of the telecom industry here in the BVI the government of the day which is the current government attempted to compensate themselves 30 mil for future loss of business, are they willing to compensate this young man for future loss of business like they were will to do for themselves" food for thought.
Whether the good come from China or not is neither here nor there. What matters is who is importing them. If it is a Minister this can only be described as corruption. They got away with the Hospital, the Green Houses, the Purcell Gut not to mention Cline Skelton and the $700,000 dollar scandel. THIS NEEDS TO STOP!!!
Its bout time we stand up to this government and take a stand on what is right and if we don't, we're no better off than our worst enemies.
Continual CRONYISM AT ITS BEST and it must CHANGE!
I assume that there is a legal exemption to drive the wrong way along this fast piece of road, or the operator will need to increase his / her life insurance, as this is a very high risk occupation. Calling Officer Callwood.