'Even with a bigger Budget we have less to show'- Hon Fraser
Speaking during the debate for the 2017 Appropriation Act at the Fourth Sitting of the Second Session of the Third House of Assembly (HoA) on February 23, 2017 Hon Fraser said a shift in emphasis on resource allocation can lead to less results with even significantly more resources.
Using the example of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), Hon Fraser recalled the Police Commissioner stating in his report that he inherited in 2016 a budget for the RVIPF of $15.3M, of which $13.3M was for emoluments, leaving $2M to manage the force operationally.
The 2017 Budget, according to Hon Fraser, shows the police being allocated $16.136M of which only $2.3M has been left for the operation of the Force.
Rewind to 2006, the RVIPF only had about $2.5M for operational purposes. “So you looking at 11 years… How do you explain after 11 years operational funding is the same?” Hon Fraser asked, adding “that is the trend that I am talking about because the total budget has grown to $16M, but operational costs have remained the same.”
The question, according to Hon Fraser, is “How can you conduct operation 10 years later with the same funding you have from 10 years ago? We all know that everything is growing in the territory, everything is getting bigger and therefore it is absolutely necessary to have more money for the operation.”
It gets worse
The former Leader of the Opposition continued that in some cases it gets even worse as in the case of agriculture where in 2006 it had a budget for its agricultural fair of $140,000. “Today, 2017 Budget is clocking only $6500. That is what the agricultural fair is going to be worth or funded with this year, 2017.”
The district representative added that there is a terrible shortfall in funding for districts for development and the impact is being felt in the communities where people lack water, proper roads, and dilapidated community centres among other things.
Today, compared to 2006, according to Hon Fraser, we have a budget that is $90M larger and nothing different to show.
“We are heading down a dangerous road.”
Meanwhile, both Fifth District Representative Hon Delores Christopher and Sixth District representative Hon Alvera Maduro-Caines also expressed their disappointment with the budget cuts for works in their districts.
The National Democratic Party (NDP) Government of Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL) presented a $323M budget in the House of Assembly on January 16, 2017.
Government expects to generate some $323M in revenue, with tax increases being one of their sources, and has estimated a recurrent expenditure of some $277M.
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19 Responses to “'Even with a bigger Budget we have less to show'- Hon Fraser”
Yet it is the VIP, not the NDP, that now faces an existential crisis. It has plummeted in national opinion polls, with the Fahie elections and how Fraser was treated.
But truth be told both Fraser and Fahie have been a disaster.