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Hull-Brathwaite inks $85,000 book contract

Book is to be used this fall to teach Financial Services
Ayana Hull-Brathwaite has been awarded an $85,000 contract for the production of a new book for the upcoming school year on the newly introduced subject of Financial Services. Photo: maplesandcalder.com
Hon. Minister for Education and Culture, Myron V. Walwyn disclosed the award of an $85,000 contract for the production of a new text for the new school year. Photo: VINO/File.
Hon. Minister for Education and Culture, Myron V. Walwyn disclosed the award of an $85,000 contract for the production of a new text for the new school year. Photo: VINO/File.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Ayana Hull-Brathwaite has been awarded the contract for the introduction of a new text for the upcoming school term.

The text, De-mystifying Financial Services, is being used for the newly introduced subject of Financial Services for the 2012-2013 school year. 

This was disclosed today, September 3, 2012 by Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn, in response to questions asked about new courses being implemented and the associated contractors and costs for texts accompanying the subjects. 

The question was posed to the Hon. Minister by First Disctrict Representative and Opposition Member, Hon. Andrew A. Fahie during the First Session of the Second Sitting of the Second House of Assembly conducted today. 

Although three new subject areas were introduced, Financial Services was surprisingly the only subject that saw the production of a new text specifically written for it. The Hon. Minister subsequently suggested this may be because of the Virgin Islands unique situation where Financial Services are concerned. 

Hull-Brathwaite, the Minister explained “was paid the contracted sum of $85,000, which includes payments for publication for the first one thousand copies of the text.” 

The Hon. Walwyn assured the House that the book would be owned by the Government of the Virgin Islands adding that a minimum charge would be put in place for sale of the book to students which would over time assist in recouping the cost of the government’s investment. 

The Minister disclosed that a copy of the contract was available for members of the house to peruse. 

Hon. Walwyn was asked to add some clarity about the copyright of the book and explained that the Ministry was able to come to a compromise with the author, wherein allowances have been made for the book to be published in other jurisdictions but the Government of the Virgin Islands would still be the holder of the copyright for the text, as it was presented to the Ministry. 

Hon. Minister Fahie appeared speechless at the Minister’s response and said simply “Madam Speaker, all I can say is wow.” The Hon. Minister then quickly moved to the next question appearing on the order paper.

43 Responses to “Hull-Brathwaite inks $85,000 book contract”

  • send help (03/09/2012, 17:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    wow is joke tis things like this why the UK will take over.
    • love child (03/09/2012, 23:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      What is wrong with Myron? he got to be a mad man wasting tax payers dime like this
    • leave she (03/09/2012, 23:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Mr. Andrew did not say "WOW" to the Biwater contract???? back off of Ms. Hull she has beauty and brain and yes she born right here...BAM
  • end of times (03/09/2012, 17:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I hope the NDP enjoy the 3 years left.... this is the begining of the end!
  • MOTHER HEN (03/09/2012, 17:29) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I am mad as hell to see what the NDP and Myron doing with my tax money..SHAME SHAME SINCE WHEN SHE TIS AN AUTHOR???
    • GoonSquad (04/09/2012, 21:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I believe your name suite you...mother hen...$85,000 is nothing to pen a book..shows how much you all know about what persons are paid to write..Most athor gets an advance of $300,000-$400,000 to pen a book ..so $85,000 is peanuts..If it was some white man getting the 85,000 allu would have never utter a word...
  • farmer brown (03/09/2012, 17:35) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    the rich getting richer
  • ooooo (03/09/2012, 17:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    wow!!! well my piece...38 more months
  • Let Andrew go sit down (03/09/2012, 20:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    When the VIP Government gave one of our doctors of education a $200,000 book contract to write a book on Virgin Islands history, paid him $85,000 as a deposit and got in return about 20 pages in a shoe box, Andrew did not take that to the house. To date that book has not been published. At least we get a book for the tax payers money spent under the NDP. Andrew ought to be ashamed of himself bout wow. He knows better and he is the least to criticise anybody. It is no different to the devil correcting sin.
    • Strupes (03/09/2012, 22:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      So because it was done before that means the trend has to continue....utter nonsense! Right is right and wrong is wrong. It matters not who is doing it!
      • At Strupes (04/09/2012, 07:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        There is nothing wrong with giving out a contract to write a book. It happens everywhere. What is wrong is when you pay money and get nothing valuable for the money in return. That was the point and that is not the case here.
    • please (04/09/2012, 00:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The difference with Andrew's consultancy contracts was that there was a bidding process that allowed competitive bidding & an independent committe selected the winner. Myron hand pick Ayana & give it to her. Andrew didn't tell us we were brooke. Myron keep reminding us that we are brooke but signing big deals only for his friends &n close supporters. So ayo keep off of Fahie.
      • To Please (04/09/2012, 07:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        Please, who bid for the hospital and drag raccing consultancies? $600,00 combined, and the neighbourhood project, over $800,000 on its own. Give us a break. They were all given out to VIP supporters and those hand picked by Andrew. Not because the country's funds are low means that no money will spend. Money has to spend to keep the country going. It is just a case of prioritising what and where it is spent and in this case the Minister chose to prioritise spending on educating young people about financial services. That is not a mistake by any strecth of the imagination. You will probably catch on later.
  • Bvislander (03/09/2012, 21:02) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This man again??!
    • copy cat (03/09/2012, 23:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I am neither VIP or NDP but this seems to be just a reward for supporting and voting for the NDP...where can i get a copy???
  • ann (03/09/2012, 22:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    what about Robert big mac after all he is the real expert
    • Ann (04/09/2012, 09:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The FSC is also producing a book but a person from overseas is writing/editing it! I think that would make you happy. Robert is is a regulator/visionary in financial services and an exemplary one he is. He does not dabble in the day to day of financial services work and is not a practitioner. A book on financial services while it should have regulatory input will have to be steered by a financial services practitioner. That Ayana is.
      • where is the UK (05/09/2012, 02:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        Myron give her that contract for $85,000 without any public tender process what about transparency???… wow Oh Beautiful Virgin Islands!!
        • My my my (05/09/2012, 17:02) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          Yea singing oh beautiful virgin islands all the way to the bank!!!
  • pretty lady (03/09/2012, 23:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i love that new photo vino the lady go it going on
  • Enough (04/09/2012, 00:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yet our local doctors cannot be paid properly. WOW.
  • Lorance (04/09/2012, 01:41) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why black people always cutting down blacks, from slavery days!

    Celebrate Celebrate for our sister! You haters can never take away whats in her brain.
  • LB (04/09/2012, 06:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Great job! Finally we are beginning to appreciate our own. Ayana is more than qualified to produce this text and this is something that will prepare our youth to get ready for the industry that accounts for almost 50% of our economy. But I guess you VINO supporters much rather a white man come in and write the same book and take our money? I guess, in order to satisfy yall petty mindedness, the NDP should ONLY give contracts to VIP people, just to shut ayo up. I guess NDP supporters should not get ANY work, contracts or projects just to make you kids happy? NONSENSE! Ayana is a tax paying BVIslander first! Let's support our own and stop allowing the media to create division amongst us by playing politics to sell their stories. Be happy for Ayana and the kids that will benefit. Just make sure that we get what we paid for...unlike Andrew paying $200k for the same thing and we got nothing back! LOL. Didn't hear yall talking then...bidding or no bidding...we did NOT get value for money then!
  • fat head (04/09/2012, 08:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Myron told us that the VIP left the country brooke & can't help some of us with college assistance now look at this????? how long??? NOT LONG!!!!
  • HAHA (04/09/2012, 08:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Y'all see the real reason of the hoopla of parading behind a party. Nothing about love of country but it all about selfishness, greed and what I can get! I have to agree with Hon. Fahie, are we broke or not?
  • we were fooled (04/09/2012, 10:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    And this is after he NDP lied to us and told us the government was broke and thus they had to cut civil servants increment in half…..WOW WOW WOW
  • school children (04/09/2012, 15:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    why not have people from fsc come in and lecture us?
    • paper boy (04/09/2012, 20:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      why not give the book time to work?
      • @paper boy (09/09/2012, 08:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        School children have a point. People who work in that sector can give the students knowledge about the field from daily tasks involved in that area and would be able to present sample scenario of real cases to students. This approach should help students to be better prepared to enter that field upon graduation from ESHS and provide knowledge about the field from a practical perspective.
  • Taxpayer (04/09/2012, 19:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    What ever you may say about Andrew, right is right and wrong is wrong. Financial Services is in an advance stage of developing a similar document. Do you mean that the Minister was or is ignorant of this? What is taking place is indicative of what is happening at the highest level of Government. These are momentous times.
  • Quack quack (04/09/2012, 21:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The ducks are obviously not in a row. No discredit to the Contract recipient, what puzzles me is why now? We too broke to pay Civil Servants appropriately, those on the lower end of the scale were getting about $500 increment a year... Now cut to $250. No money to get Civil Servants out of a moulde infested building while they remedy the problem. No proper restroom facilities in the high school. Kids not allowed to leave campus for lunch yet no proper facilities for them to have lunch. In this extremely hot climate classrooms are poorly ventilated. Was this really the time for an $85k book? It's really funny to see the things that take priority over Human health safety and comfort.
  • jtv (05/09/2012, 02:58) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ms. Hull, I love how you get all the attention….girl enjoy the two minutes of fame on VINO
  • jack be still (05/09/2012, 12:17) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    what is the big fuss? she is local and I am happy for her.
    • half breed (07/09/2012, 00:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      but the school children say her parents not from here so she even aint a full blood tolain
  • jk@rt.com (06/09/2012, 08:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    hope she is
  • where? (07/09/2012, 11:52) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    just payback for her support for the NDP dem say she was away last year but came home to vote....but where can I purchase the so call book???
  • Shame Shame (08/09/2012, 12:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Here we go again NDP cronyism at its best.
  • vizzy (16/09/2012, 20:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    well, is waaaaaaapen to she hubby


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