‘I’m accountable for UK money when it comes here’- Gov Jaspert
Governor Jaspert made his position clear at a February 4, 2020, press conference at his office in Road Town, Tortola, that he is held to a different standard regarding his direct management of UK funds.
The Governor's response came following questions from the media regarding Hon Fraser’s disposition that the state should be receiving UK funding first.
Use treasury to receive funds – Hon Fraser
Hon Fraser had complained during the budget debate in the House of Assembly (HoA) in December 2019, “I have a problem with the fact that the Governor receives money from the United Kingdom and no one in government knows how it’s used, where it is, how it’s recorded,” he said.
The senior member of the HoA also said: “The governor receives $400,000 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My suggestion is that it be recorded in the medium-term fiscal plan. Whatever money is coming into this country should be recorded, and reflected in our treasury,” Fraser argued.
Governor Jaspert in his response explained that different categories of money come to the VI, as such, some are handled by government agencies and some are handled by the Governor and his office directly.
“This house [Governor's residence], for example, is the responsibility of the Government of the Virgin Islands but the government of the UK took a decision to support,” he said.
That support he said came in the form of repairs to the Governor home and office in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria of 2017, and that funding was handled by the Governor with the VI Government still taking on further repair works.
The Governor said the UK has given £10M to support the operational expense of the recovery of the Virgin Islands and that is being managed through the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA), a statutory body.
'I'm responsible to the UK Parliament' – Gov Jaspert
“So it’s really about what the money is for, I’m accountable for UK money when it comes here so that money is channelled through me because I am responsible to the UK Parliament, and to the UK," Governor Jaspert told the local press.
The Governor said, with reference to Hon Fraser’s concerns, that in instances where funding must go through him, it is in accordance with accountability terms ahead of the funds being allocated for its purpose.
Political pundits and social commentators have long suspected that the UK's setting up of the RDA was a direct result of mistrust in the Government of the VI to manage its own recovery funding under the then Dr D. Orlando Smith led National Democratic Party (NDP) administration.
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26 Responses to “‘I’m accountable for UK money when it comes here’- Gov Jaspert”
The 'MONEY TREE' or 'IN GOD WE TRUST TREE' is an evergreen tree introduced into the BVI from The United States.
Trees are bisexual so only females trees produce the popular greenbacks. Occasional male plants are needed to provide pollination.
Estimate for the BVI to become self sufficient in home grown greenbacks is about three years. No UK loans needed.
Moreover, if it waddles like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck. The RDA is an alternative government and a kick in the teeth and insult/embarrassment for VI people. The UK give the VI a measly £10M (~$14M) for recovery, along with £300M (~$400M) co-sign loan, but the money is administered by the RDA, an alternative government, not the local government. The money came with strict and specific terms and conditions. It makes one wonder if the Falkland Islands had a similar disaster as the VI would an RDA be imposed?
Whose fault is it that we are in this position? and no don't say the NDP, because this measure has been long in coming, through the VIP government terms under Ralph (God rest his soul) and through the NDP too. The unchecked spending, the blatant corruption and the unexplained lost of government monies and nobody under any of these administration wants to be held accountable.
Currently the government of transparency is not transparent! Check the unchecked spending of monies, that they claim we didn't have! I would like to know where it came from? Further to that, if it was not for the publication of Cabinet decisions, we the people would not know a quarter of the decisions that are being made on behalf of us by our own people, who are NOT for ALL of the people, no matter the rhetoric!
Give me a break! Admit what you are seeing, instead of clinging to this idea that we are being persecuted by some outside force that has nothing to do with our own elected officials and i mean the pass and the current!
statements like this "insult/embarrassment for VI people" make me sick. Who insulted our intelligence first? who embarrassed us first? The UK government? No! we did that to ourselves.
stop it!
Are you seriously saying that BVI governments for the last 20 years have been transparent and accountable?
Do you dispute that BVIslanders like to make out as if someone is persecuting them, even though we know our own politicians are corrupt?
Are you saying the public should not acknowledge that unless they have all the hard evidence to prove it?
What a ting!
Talking down to the writer by saying they need to calm down is not reflective of the writer. We can interpret that for ourselves. Your comment just reflects you and your slant – which is much less reasoned than Meson's.
Allow us to be the bird sanctuary that you and your ancestors that brought ours alone.
The Devil comes in every shade.