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Construction industry needs to be regulated – McMillan

- “Fairer” treatment outlined for local contractors
The construction business in the VI has some ups and downs. Photo: VINO
At Large Candidate with the Virgin Islands Party Zoe Walcott Mc-Millan said the construction industry needs to be regulated.
At Large Candidate with the Virgin Islands Party Zoe Walcott Mc-Millan said the construction industry needs to be regulated.
GREENLAND, Tortola, VI - The need for the construction industry to be regulated in the Virgin Islands was brought to the forefront by At Large Candidate of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Zoe Walcott-McMillan who outlined some of the changes that will take place to ensure local contractors are given a fair opportunity to expand their businesses.

At a campaign rally for 8th District Representative Hon. Dancia Penn-Sallah in Greenland on October 18, 2011, McMillan highlighted some of the ways that the VIP plans to continue to grow the economy.

The At Large candidate said petty contracts is one aspect, but major developments are taking place in the Territory and as a Government it will ensure that benefits, which are being given to developers or the likes, are continually encouraged in a marriage with local contractors.

“Additionally, we will have to have discussions with the contractors’ association and the public to determine what percentage of the determined investment should be kept in escrow. The escrow account will ensure that if the company defaults, funds will be allocated to take care of any outstanding bills that may be owed to our people. A further percentage of that fee will be utilised by the government for management fees,” she explained some of the other initiatives that will be put in place to benefit contractors.

Meanwhile, McMillan also acknowledged that there some local contractors who are still owed outstanding monies from major projects stating that, “when we recognize a problem, we have to fix it”.

Among other areas that the At Large candidate outlined as opportunities to grow the economy in the construction industry including opportunities for heavy equipment operators, interior designers, architects and barge owners.

15 Responses to “Construction industry needs to be regulated – McMillan”

  • Local contractors TOO WICKED (20/10/2011, 07:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The local contractors and majority of the construction workers are TOO WICKED and GREEDY. The architects are mostly incompetent, the contractors want to collect and I can go on and on. They need to be regulated YES but to treat people fairly. Why has 3 out of 5 home owners had to fire contractors? ZOE, scatter with this petty contract nonsense. True Business Leaders MAKE OPPORTUNITIES not open their hand to Gov't for petty contracts. These petty contracts are causing PRETTY BIG MESSES. Gov't's role is to provide framework and legislation with policy not fatten their friends pockets. I am sick ad tired of this nonsense. Why don't you tell us about the results of the work you did with the Small Villas/Hotels?
    • construction (20/10/2011, 11:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Most of these contractors do need to be regulated - in order that people can build their houses to the standard, timeline and cost that they are contracted for. Most of these contractors are incompetent at best!
  • tell the truth (20/10/2011, 08:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Unlike the NDP, ZOE and the VIP are the only ones with ideas, plans and solutions and telling we the people what they will do. NDP just into name calling, dirty campaigning, lies, perception management, and blaming everybody except themselves…
    • Mmm (20/10/2011, 09:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Reeaally, thought it was the other way around
      • village ram (20/10/2011, 10:04) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        I agree with "tell the truth" NDP so desprate for power they will say anything! but they will not win this time maybe 2015 if the VIP aint get dem act together...
  • Real Talk (20/10/2011, 09:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    LMAO!! When Paul Wattley and the NDP proposed these very things to clean up the industry, they were BASHED! VIP said they were against the small men. Same with hotels and developments! Now 4yrs later, being broke and stagnated, they all of a sudden pushing these same ideas! All they're telling us is that we made a HUGE MISTAKE by taking out NDP last time and putting VIP in, SIMPLE!!! Ask Zoe for the reports on the villa study as well as the one with FSC. Also, we can ask for updates on 'cerrtain' contracts too! All this BAM BAM BAM, tell us the truth!!! If we can't trust you with a consultation, to provide a proper report that we spent our tax dollars on, we going trust you in Government? NEVER!
    • farmer brown (20/10/2011, 11:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      funny man Myron dude do you work? sucketeeh..old island man fool looking for power in we country
  • karma (20/10/2011, 11:30) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I believe some of us are missing the point the young lady is trying to make. Whether you like Mrs. Mcmillan or not there is substance in her speech. As the country develops there must be regulations that allow the local professionals to develop with the country or else we will be developing but not really benefitting from the developments. for example currently there are no checks and balances within the industry and it causes some of the sentiments that the top blogger said. If there were regulations it would be easier to weed the bad apples out and ensure the contractors and their clients both get the best service possible.
    • sad (20/10/2011, 12:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      there are checks and balances. they are just not following policy and procedure
  • Bull Bud (21/10/2011, 12:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Once you get past the drama, this woman is just a bag of hot air. Total waste of time!
    • big girls rule (21/10/2011, 16:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      yea she reminds me of funny man Myron....
    • Zamboni (21/10/2011, 17:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      If she is a bag of hot air, what do you leave for Archie, Myron, Delores, Marlon, Dr. Smith, Skelton-Cline, Mark, Alvera and Hubert. Waste of time. What has been the contribution of Archie when NDP was in. Absolutely nothing. What can we look at in terms of achievements of Archie, Marlon, Alvera ......... Hubert, Myron, Mark, Claude, Ronnie, are not genuine about this territory. It is how they can resurrect and save some of their failing businesses. Tell them to Talk dat, and tell the truth. Myron need to come clean on his position with Bi-Water. Ask him who met with Adrian White trying to get on the Board. Now them singing a different tune. WOW. Are these people for real? More to come....
  • mitchell (21/10/2011, 17:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    if i could recall it was the ndp who wanted to put the small men out of business saying that they don't need a petty contract system. they were going to put all the heavy equipment opperaters and big truck opperaters out of business and let pwd do all work that they can.
    • Crank Shaft (22/10/2011, 09:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Yes, you so smart! So you rather we spend millions on little boys with no experience or qualifications to conduct works while we pay salaries, insurance, pensions and other benefits to a largely staffed Public Works Department, who we spend millions each year training, for them to sit and do nothing? You damn jack!!! That's how it should work! PWD should be doing road works etc and Solid Waste should be cutting bush, That's a fact! It's not about taking food out of anybody's mouth! The problem is that the VIP let this thing get out of control so there's no way to stop it! How in the world can any Government sustain a system where PWD are paid full salary and then we paying private contractors AGAIN for the same purpose? Look at Solid Waste as well, they should be cutting the bush around the Territory, again we're paying them and still paying others to do the same thing! Do you now understand why a civil service with about 3500 people costing us $200million to operate each year? We only bring in about $270mil each year in revenues, look at how much it costing us to run the civil service! We cant have it both ways! If we want to have more private contractors then we will have to lay off people at PWD, it's simple! No use having architects, laborers etc. hired as permanent and pensionable workers but they do nothing!! It's WASTE!!!!


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