Premier Smith hits back @ Hon Fahie's latest SSB loan concerns
Premier Smith in his statement sent to media houses today April 2, 2015 chided the members of the Opposition for their stance and said that allowances must be made for cost overruns and variations.
Regarding that loan, Honourable Fahie, speaking last night April 1, 2015 on the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) radio show Let’s Talk, said that the details of how the money was going to be spent was the question of the day during the Fourth Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Second House of Assembly.
We are not anti-progress – Hon Fahie
“We agree that some of our roads need attention but this must be done in a more accountable and transparent manner…When we asked for a breakdown of the $16 million and how it will be spent, we only received a breakdown of approximately $15,200,000. Where is the breakdown of the almost $700,000 plus. No one knows. Again I ask you the people. How can trying to find out how your hard earned tax dollars are being spent be labelled as being negative or anti-development?” Honourable Fahie asked.
“We are for progress, but it must be done in an accountable and transparent manner,” he said. He said that the Government sought an unsecured $16 million loan “on the eve of elections” and when questioned about the details about the huge unsecured loan “rather than answer us they attempted to label us as anti-development.”
Premier Smith responds
However, in an emailed response today April 2, 2015, Dr Smith said, “I have read with interest an article today in Platinum News that questions the breakdown of the $16 million loan being sought from the Social Security Board for the repair of our major roads infrastructure… a story which originated with members of the VIP on their last radio programme.”
The Premier said the answer given was specific to the question, “What was the budgeted value of the work?”
He said, “It puzzles me that these gentlemen who have been involved with Government projects where costs have escalated way beyond what was estimated, would attempt to make the specific answer to a specific question “The budgeted value of the work” an issue when we all know that one must allow at least 10% contingencies for increase/ variation in costs of any project.”
Giving an example, Premier Smith said the cost of building the New Peebles Hospital “which while on track when this administration started it increased tremendously when that administration (VIP) took over, and a building which was budgeted to cost 65million ended up costing 100 million. And I could go on and on about these increases in cost during their administration.”
He said that in this instance the “Budgeted value of the work” was $15,278,587.29 and that the “contingency” allowed on this project of $721,412.71 is less than 5% which speaks to the Government’s intentions of containing costs and getting value for money.
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21 Responses to “Premier Smith hits back @ Hon Fahie's latest SSB loan concerns”
Shame on you Dr. Smith for not making this clear in the HOA and playing rat must find the cheese with it.
SHAME SHAME SHAME
Shaina and Preston will be fighting over the scraps
dr smith is worst than a little child
The primer needs to tell the truth and not half truth. Tell the people how the company your government chose did a botch job that had to be corrected. I did not expect you would join the cr**ks. You are better than that.