‘Things being implemented by UK right on top of us’- Hon Fahie
While on the Honestly Speaking with Claude O. Skelton Cline radio show aired Tuesday February 13, 2018 on ZBVI 780 AM, Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) spoke of these concerns.
According to Honourable Fahie, “A lot of our persons don’t know that there are persons in the UK for some of these ministries sitting. There are a lot of things being implemented right on top of us in this territory by the UK that the Government is not telling us about.”
The National Democratic Party (NDP) led government has never been one to be forthcoming with information and in most instances, information is given after the fact. Information is even withheld from members of the government as was the case with the aforementioned letter and the backbenchers.
Though many hoped that there would’ve been improvements after the devastating hurricanes of September 2017, things seem to have become worse.
"Hold your Representatives accountable"
In response, Mr Skelton-Cline said “We have to remind our people that this is a democracy. The Premier and the Minister of Finance is not a dictator. He cannot constitutionally obligate these Virgin Islands by agreeing to anything on the UK on his own. We are governed by a constitution. It has to come back here, it has to pass through Cabinet, it has to come to the House of Assembly.”
In addition, Representative of the First District, Hon Fahie advised everyone to seek answers from their elected representatives and to hold them accountable.
He further explained that “The problem with this [UK implementations] is that I don’t agree with it, but I often said, for the last 5 to 6 years, either we police ourselves or somebody is going to police us in a manner we don’t like. I don’t feel that anyone need to fix out problems for us. We can fix it ourselves. If one is not working you remove that one person and you put somebody else.”
UK distrusts NDP Gov't
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom (UK) has demonstrated a distrust of the NDP Government in their demands for guarantees for hurricane recovery loans.
In order for the Territory to get any money they had to agree to a new set of rules. They had to agree to good governance and transparency in all ministries, according to the document obtained by our newsroom. The UK demanded an Investment Development Agency Board to manage the money, taking it out of the hands of the politicians.
The UK is to have an additional representative on the investment board, and the VI cannot get any loans going forward unless they adhere to these polices where the UK will manage the hurricane funds.
The VI Government was also instructed to appoint an Auditor General.
The Board via the UK appointed Governor is to have monthly updates on how the money is to be spent, fiscal forecast and must implement public sector reform, which many have argued means public sector layoffs.
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