QE II Park ballooned to $1.5M ‘tell people the truth’-Hon. Fahie
Now comes the Queen Elizabeth (QE) II Park, a project now expected to cost tax payers $1.5 million with $1 Million being budgeted for 2013 and $500,000 being identified for 2014 according to Minister of Finance Honourable Smith.
Dr. Smith, the Virgin Islands’ second Premier was at the time answering a question in the House of Assembly on December 17, 2013 posed by First District Representative Honourable Andrew A. Fahie on the full cost of and if works for the QE II Park located across from the Governor’s residence were tendered.
What is the true cost? Contract splitting? No tender project?
The issue of a consistent message and some alleged telling the truth by the NDP Administration is a concern for Hon. Fahie.
He noted in an exclusive interview with this news site that last month Premier Smith reportedly gave one figure for the QE II Park, but in an answer to his question in the HOA he gave another.
Honourable Fahie said the Premier and his Government seem to have “serious challenges with telling the people the truth”.
Can we trust the NDP with the truth?
When pressed to give an example of an untruth told to the people, Hon. Fahie referred to the blatant misinformation [others described it as a lie] the Premier told in the House of Assembly on December 17, 2013 when answering a follow-up question on the controversial Auditor General Report on the Ports Development Project where he stated, “may I just observe that I have heard about this report floating around, Madam Speaker, I have not seen it, I have not tried to find it, nobody sent it to me, so I know nothing about it," he claimed.
However, in a press conference that was attended by Virgin Islands News Online on November 12, 2013 hosted by Premier Smith, he told reporters “That is correct” when asked if he had seen the Auditor General’s Report on the Ports Development Project.
At the same press conference Hon. Smith also requested that reporters ask specific questions about the report and asked that they not generalize. Further, once the same report was leaked to selective media houses, Dr. Smith released a statement responding to the report and cited specific areas of disagreement his Government had with the Auditor General’s Report on the ports project.
What portion was not tendered? $70,000 in works given out; no tender!
In a press release from the Government Information Service dated November 14, 2013 the Smith Administration told the public that eleven (11) different work orders had been issued to local heavy equipment operators for earthworks associated with the initial phase of the Queen Elizabeth II Project. These work orders total approximately $70,000.
When asked in the HOA on December 17, 2013 by the former Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Fahie, if the Project was tendered, Premier Smith said it was not. However, it remains unclear, if Dr. Smith was referring to the $70,000 work orders that had already been given out by his office or the $1.M cost he revealed in the HOA that he said is in the 2013 budget.
In any case, Hon. Fahie has argued that this is a violation of the Protocols for Effective Financial Management signed by the Smith Government with over $70,000 of works given out with no tender process.
While saying that the QE II Park Project will be done in phases, Premier Smith said that Systems Engineering will be the Project Manager for the earthwork phase and that his office has put a project team together to help execute the project.
In justifying the $1.5 Million price tag for the QE II Park Project, he told the HOA that “the master plan for the project has evolved since that original period and detailed drawings have now been developed.”
Dr. Smith also told the public in his answer to Hon. Fahie’s question on December 17, 2013 that the project is under the Premier’s Office and funds are allotted for the project under Capital Head 322, Subhead 3220100.
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60 Responses to “QE II Park ballooned to $1.5M ‘tell people the truth’-Hon. Fahie”
Tun-e-up
Progress and prosperity VOTE VIP OR DIE!!!.
Yes, having green space and play areas and a pretty park for visitors to see on the shoreline will be a positive for the people and the BVI, but cmon now, in the grand scheme of things, how can this be at the top of the totem pole??!! Doesn't matter what you had planned and budgeted for, the current situation is one that requires refocus and clinical expenditures to tackle the issues that are causing the worrying symptoms of crime, business closures, withdrawal of investors, scaled down investments, a deteriorating tourism product, a crippled educational system and a financial sector in constant defence from the myriad on attacks.
quite honestly, if this spend goes through as tabled it will provide answers to two critical questions:
1. Does the current government really know what they are doing and do they care about the people they serve
2.What is the the real objective of the opposition and are they really vested in policing the government, and causing any REAL forced redirection when it is needed. Or are they just a paperweight on the parliamentary table.
I'm confused. Fraser and Fahie are saying SPEND SPEND SPEND to stimulate the economy and each time the Government attempts to do just that, it's a problem. I smell a rat. These guys are afraid that Government will get certain things done and make it impossible for them to win elections, that's what this is about. This is also more about who's getting contracts as opposed to costs. I'm not fooled by this nonsense at all. How can the spend spend crowd be against spending? Isn't that the definition of A$$ISHNESS?