More questions for Premier Smith on controversial BVI Airways bailout
The House of Assembly this morning, April 10, 2017 confirmed the meeting and released the Order Paper, which shows that a number of Bills will be on the table for consideration, as well as the Opposition Leader peppering the front bench with questions.
Out of the some over 60 plus questions by the Opposition Leader Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), many will be again on the government’s controversial bailout of bankrupt BVI Airways. In 2014 the airline pulled out of the Virgin Islands (VI) after a short stint, claiming it had financial challenges.
Who got the BVI Airways $$$$?
Two years later the Administration of Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) pumped some $7M of tax payers money into the airline in exchange for direct flights from Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island to Miami, Florida, USA.
Well, at the House of Assembly (HoA) Sitting next week, Hon Fahie wants to know, in questions to Premier Smith, of the $7M reported for BVI Airways as an investment, how much has been disbursed to BVI Airways, and the answer is to include the date each disbursement was made, the amount of each disbursement and the person(s)/company each disbursement was made payable to.
In addition, Premier Smith, who has fought a local company VI Airlink and has gone as far as blasting the local company before the United States Government to promote a foreign company, BVI Airways, is also to explain in detail how the development of this project satisfied the tenants of the Protocols for Effective Financial Management.
Would they ever fly?
The big question as to the date BVI Airways will commence its service of flights from the VI to Miami, and vice versa, is also to be answered.
Premier Smith has promised the people two dates, the first being the end of October 2016 which never happened, then the end of November 2016 which also never happened.
As speculations are rampant, the Premier is to tell the HoA, in a question from the Opposition Leader, if there exists any other agreement, or addendum to the agreement previously agreed to. If so, Hon Fahie wants Dr Smith to furnish Parliament with this information.
The Opposition Leader, in continuing his line of questioning on the controversial $7M BVI Airways bailout, wants to know if any more funding, equity or investment of any kind is presently being considered to be given to BVI Airways, separate to the initial investment of seven million dollars and, if yes, for what purpose, how much and in what form will the investment be made to BVI Airways and when. "If no, will any more investment be made during this year 2017? And; if yes when?"
More money requested for BVI Airways?
Finally, the newly appointed Opposition Leader, who is also the Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party, is asking the Premier and Minister of Finance to inform the HoA whether BVI Airways has requested any more funding from the Government of the Virgin Islands and, if yes, when was the request received and for how much, and whether their request will be honoured in any form and to explain in detail if yes.
In 2014 when the defunct BVI Airways pulled out its operations from the Terrance B. Lettsome Airport they had owed the government agency BVI Airports Authority some $100,000. It is still unclear if that money was repaid.
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