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Two powerful HOA committee meetings this week!

The Public Accounts Committee & the Standing Finance Committee in session this week
Two House of Assembly powerful Committees are meeting this week. Today January 15, 2014, the Public Accounts Committee Chaired by Opposition Leader Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE met to continue their probe into the Auditor General Report on the Ports Development Project. The report which was leaked to selective Media houses last year, detailed a web of corruption, conflict of interest, violation of laws and no one looking out for the public interest. The second powerful meeting is the Standing Finance Committee, chaired by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ingrid A. Moses. Photo: VINO/File
The controversial Report written by Auditor General Sonia M. Webster is reportedly being probed by the Public Accounts Committee. The report leaked to the public detailed many conflict of interest, violation of laws, corruption, and no one looking after the public interest. Photo: VINO/File
The controversial Report written by Auditor General Sonia M. Webster is reportedly being probed by the Public Accounts Committee. The report leaked to the public detailed many conflict of interest, violation of laws, corruption, and no one looking after the public interest. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - While the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government remains unpopular and the House of Assembly (HOA) is regarded very low among public opinion with some labeling it as a circus, elected members were busy this week working.
Standing Finance Committee 

On Tuesday January 14, 2014, the day after the Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith delivered his 2014, $301.7 Million budget, members of the House of Assembly Standing Finance Committee (SFC) got down to work. 

They met on Tuesday at the House of Assembly Conference Room at the Richard C. Stoutt building in Road Town, the Virgin Islands’ Capital City where the powerful committee that examines the expenditure summoned the constitutional bodies such as the Office of the Auditor General, the Complains Commissioner and the House of Assembly, among others. 

The information of the SFC proceedings is restrictive until officially released to the public in a report of the Standing Finance Committee. 

The Meeting is chaired by the Speaker of the HOA Honourable Ingrid A. Moses, and includes all 13 elected members of Parliament. 

The SFC is expected to go for another three to four weeks as most Departments and Statutory bodies are summoned before the Committee to justify their Budget request or to answer questions by Legislators on their operations.

Once this process is completed, then the 13 HOA members will debate the budget as it’s expected to then pass as the Government has the majority in Parliament with a 9 to 4 advantage. 

Public Accounts Committee 

Meanwhile, the HOA Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also is continuing to meet with its most recent meeting today, January 15, 2014.  The powerful committee Chaired by Opposition Leader and the Virgin Islands Party Boss, Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, continues to probe the controversial Auditor General Report on the Ports Development project. 

The report, which was leaked to selective media houses last year, detailed a web of corruption, conflict of interest and no one looking after the interest of the tax payers.

It’s this news site’s understanding that public officers directly involved in the project were summoned before the Committee today to answer questions. 

Besides the PAC Chairman Hon. O’Neal (R9), the Committee also includes Opposition Members Hon. J. Alvin Christopher (R2), and Hon. Andrew A. Fahie (R1) and from the Government side are Hon. Marlon A. Penn (R8) and Hon. Alvera Maduro-Caines (R6). 

11 Responses to “Two powerful HOA committee meetings this week!”

  • Just Me (15/01/2014, 20:48) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    it is full time for the Government to put THEIR cards transparently on the table for people to assess over that Aditor General report.
  • Real Talk (15/01/2014, 21:37) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hope uncle does not go sleep on that auditor general report
  • xxxxxxxx (16/01/2014, 00:45) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    we ought to demand that the government must do what it's supposed to do
  • x factor (16/01/2014, 07:35) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Let's see if anything comes out of the PAC mr Ralph the people depending on you
  • David (16/01/2014, 11:11) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    The people should be organizing to make sure that the reign of flip flop do nothing governments comes to an end in 2015. The future of the VI depends upon the people taking ownership and changing the way government is run.
    • They all do the same thing (16/01/2014, 15:17) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      Please!! No matter who you put in those elected seats they all do the same thing. It's all about self and not about country. Right now the opposition is trying their best to make us believe that they are fighting for us. What did they do when they had the privilege. They thought about self. It's just a continuous circle going nowhere and I have had enough of both. NO PARTY IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER
  • 1 (16/01/2014, 16:28) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    just wasting busy civil servants time asking nonsense
  • @ 1 (17/01/2014, 05:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Then take a trip during the hearings like others have done
  • Z (17/01/2014, 17:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    much of the same crap


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