Governor’s intervention speaks of recklessness of NDP Gov’t- Hon Fraser
It was revealed recently by this news site that the United Kingdom appointed Governor John S. Duncan OBE communicated to Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith in February 2016 about the blatant violation of the Virgin Islands’ Constitution over formal audits of the Government Accounts.
He warned that without formal audits of Government Accounts the FCO “cannot be certain as to the extent of their own contingent liability.”
Governor Duncan had also urged Dr Smith and the Cabinet to “lead a concerted and structured effort to reduce wasteful expenditure.”
Speaking to residents of Virgin Gorda during a public meeting at the Catholic Community Centre in the Valley, Hon Fraser made it clear that he was not in support of this Governor or any Governor getting involved in the management of any Administration, “but for the Governor to be saying one thing publicly, and even to the Opposition, and to see him saying something totally opposite privately to the Premier, it speaks to the egregious nature of the mismanagement of public funds, and the potential for the United Kingdom Government’s intervention,” Hon Fraser declared.
The Opposition Leader noted that at one point in his memo to Government, the Governor referred to the reckless behaviour as “public sector profligacy”, and labeled it as deep rooted and having a long history.
Shocking & disingenuous
Hon Fraser reminded that it was on July 3, 2012 at the 7th Sitting of the 1st Session of the 2nd House of Assembly that he moved a Motion to Debate the terms for the Protocol for Effective Financial Management signed on April 23, 2012 between the Governments of the VI and the UK, on the grounds that the conditions were onerous, and that Government would be handcuffed if they were to comply.
“This argument of mine was dismissed by the Premier and his Government, ignored by the Governor, and when raised with Dr Peter Hayes, Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in October last year on my trip to London, I was assured that the matter was being monitored and that he was satisfied with the way the Government was handling the matter.”
Hon Fraser also said he finds it shocking and disingenuous to say the least, to see that the governor has privately warned the Premier and the FCO about those same Protocols.
In one of many letters to Premier Smith, the Governor was very concerned about the Government Medium Term Fiscal Plan (MTFP), -a key component of the Protocols. In this particular letter, according to Hon Fraser, Governor Duncan stated, “In discussion with the Financial Secretary and in recommending approval of the 2016 MTFP, FCO officials stressed the need to ensure that BVIG project financing was properly prioritised, supported by well-reasoned business cases demonstrating value for money.”
“This coming from the FCO must be more than it appears, since these exact words are in the Protocols as the condition for borrowing. It is obvious that there is more than meets the eye,” Hon Fraser concluded.
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14 Responses to “Governor’s intervention speaks of recklessness of NDP Gov’t- Hon Fraser”
dem boys like a runaway train and dem aint hearing nor listening BUT barry said "U WILL HEAR "
Whether is them or the guvenor I kno the bee wee oiii heading straight back to the 1950 1960 s in term of who will have and who will not.
The corruption NEEDS to be curtailed ;it is TOO blatant