'UK standing in the way of your stimulus package'- Skelton-Cline
"Here's what I know as a private citizen sitting on the outside looking in; we have money in our reserves, we have money in Social Security, we have money in the Consolidated Fund, we have money in the Contingency Fund... [but] we don't have access to that money," he said on his Honestly Speaking show.
Money available - Skelton-Cline
Mr Skelton-Cline continued, "The United kingdom, as to this date, [has not] given the green light in black and white, in writing, as to the conditions that fall within the Protocols for Effective Financial Management, concerning the borrowing guidelines, concerning the threshold that we would have to meet, if we fall below what's in the reserve, concerning we need their approval if we use our Social Security money."
He said Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) is now unable to deliver a viable economic stimulus package since there is no access to the money to fund it.
"We need them to get out the way...we are not asking for a nickel of their taxpayer's money, we are in a position in this partnership... where we can't even use our own taxpayers' money to fund our recovery to provide you with an economic [stimulus] package because the United Kingdom here to date, as I sit here, is standing in the way of your economic stimulus package," Mr Skelton-Cline remarked.
Guest Shaina M. Smith of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA), calling the scenario a stalemate, said the Premier needs to address the people of the Territory about the issues.
Formal agreement needed
Premier Fahie recently disclosed that details of the economic stimulus plan will be shared with the public in short order.
"Please note that Cabinet has already approved the template of the economic stimulus plan. The details in this matter will be made public very soon," Premier Fahie said on Friday, April 24, 2020.
But according to Skelton Cline, "It doesn't matter how nice a package you have in theory and on paper, if there is no funding for that package I can't come forward."
He said the VI cannot spend its own money without UK approval; however, the UK has not formalised any requests made by the Government to relax its financial stipulations.
"We got to get this resolved," he urged, pointing to the UK as an empire that built its wealth on the backs of the working poor and on slave labour and is now depending on coercive powers to control the VI in a systematic way.
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21 Responses to “'UK standing in the way of your stimulus package'- Skelton-Cline”
Henceforth our premier cant touch the cash without they approval, hmmm
This deep! Wake up my leaders of the virgin island
Those eight year pushed our territory back 40 years: 8 years of unacceptability
The reality in this country is that Covid-19 was around from last year and even early this year before it hit BVI, but no one was playing attention. Our spending habits can speak to that. Our economy like the rest of the world has been hit and shaken and will be this way up to the end of 2020 and beyond. The pandemic has brought trouble to the world but some of the world probably has more industries than us and will be able to rough it out. What we depended on in this country was tourism and financial services., Both industries have been hit hard. So what we have to do now is to learn to live by doing more with less. Not looking to UK for handouts for they need the handouts for their people and not only that, they have other overseas territories to assist.
Having said all that, since you seem to be the spokesperson for the Government, please give us the answers to the questions that I raised in the foregoing paragraphs.
Don't hold back until you get the truth, Sayer. Most of us already know that the UK will not help us until we help ourselves by making some seriously tough decisions like downsizing the civil service via, pay cuts, redundancy and privatization. No Politician wants to touch that for obvious reasons. They don't have the intestinal fortitude to do so. What they could do is take a pay cut so let we lead from the front but that is wishful thinking.
I believe for the UK to adjust the protocols they want something in return. It is reasonable to expect.
I ent waiting and depending on no stimulus. I will do what I have to do to keep my business afloat. Businesses will be out of business before stimulus reach and that is the harsh reality.
In this time of need. What goes around comes around . When you're incharge and won't listen and give the bly all of a sudden you're looking the bly.
Over 2 weeks now package talks surface what you did thought about that like it's graunteed smh .hope they get this word and learn a lesson
Legal team does not want independence from the UK.
Well,for the time being,the British Virgin Islands,is a UK British OVERSEAS Territory,formerly called UK British "DEPENDENT" Territory.
If in 2020,we cannot accept,this system of protocol,which is part of our Constitution,the supreme law of the land,well we better call for our independence and have our own sovereignty.
Andrew Fahie will become the first PRIME MINISTER of the BVI.
The Governor will be given a departure ceremony,back to the UK,and he will be replaced by a local president,if BVI become an independent democratic republic, or
By a governor general,if its just democratic state.
We continue to curse and fight about UK involvement in our business and affair,but the very Constitution teaches us,that the BVI is a UK country.
Simple as that.
One love BVI.