UK has a financial ‘choke-hold’ on Government- Skelton-Cline
So says radio host Claude O. Skelton-Cline. During an exclusive interview with this newsroom, Mr. Skelton-Cline , speaking on the subject of hurricane recovery efforts , stated that it is his conclusion that “the recovery effort post hurricanes Irma and Maria is stalled" because the National Democratic Party (NDP) Administration cannot access the funding it was supposed to have recieved.
Pointing to the High Level Framework for United Kingdom (UK) support for the Virgin Islands’ (VI) Hurricane Recovery, the radio host said “one of the key conditions in the document as I recall, was the immediate establishment of an independent Recovery Agency that’s been done.”
NO TRUST IN NDP
He went on to add that “even the $11 million insurance cheque from NAGICO for the Central Administration Building that was handed over months ago is not accessible to the Government.”
Mr Skelton-Cline went on to say that the VI “cannot afford to forget the debate that captured the attention of the whole Territory on the establishment of an Agency and why some of us argued against the Agency as a substitute Government,” adding “clearly the UK has a financial choke-hold on our Government.”
He went on to say, “this is why when the Leader of the Opposition asked the question in the House of Assembly as to why the Minister of Finance would draw down $15 million dollars of the $65 million and none had been spent, yet we are paying interest on it, it is because the NDP Government was about to contravene one of the conditions and when the UK became aware of it; that attempt was halted,.”
Who will be CEO?
Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority stated that “we are much further out in the deep blue sea without a paddle than we are being led to believe.” He divulged that it is his understanding that “the Board of the Agency has been meeting. They have recommended a person for the CEO post.
That person is not a Virgin Islander. The recommendation is before Cabinet awaiting a decision. However, we still have miles to go.”
According to the Recovery Bill which was approved in the House of Assembly, a Recovery and Development Plan is to be laid and approved; however, according to Skelton-Cline “we still do not have a plan.” On that note, he urged Islanders to “brace ourselves and get ready for the long haul as this will not be easy and it will not be quick. It will not be with this Government as they cannot get us out of what they have gotten us into.”
14 Responses to “UK has a financial ‘choke-hold’ on Government- Skelton-Cline ”
For truth there is no deadline.
If government got $11M insurance from Nagico to repair the CAB, why can’t government access the money? Is the check hot? Is there no project yet to repair the CAB? Can’t the engineers in the MCW/PWD develop a project for the repair?
If government got a $65M approved loan to start the recovery, why can’t it access the money? Did the loan not meet the financial protocol agreement sign with the UK?
Is the Achilles heel to the recovery effort lack of a sound project delivery, funding and implementation plan?
You can't have the best of both worlds