Hon. Fraser says sending the budget to the UK for approval is not a party issue but rather a Territorial issue.

During the budget debate yesterday March 22, 2012 in the House of Assembly, Hon. Fraser said since the visit of the two officers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in February of this year, he does not understand what has taken place and he feels it is important for the people to know and calls on the Premier Hon. Dr. D. Orlando Smith to give an answer.

“My gut feeling is telling me that the Premier will be doing everything that is right if the budget had to go two months to being approved then it did go and they are here now to approve the budget. If it didn’t go then it means that clause or condition is out… I think is important that we know the conditions,” the former government minister said.

Hon. Fraser also stated that if his party was in power, he would have been the first to advocate that the Leader of the Opposition to accompany the Premier to London on the matter and he believes that with it being in the hands of the current Premier Hon.Smith, he believes the Opposition needs to be part of it.

Giving a background of the issue of the borrowing guidelines, the former Communications and Works Minister said in June 2010, he went to London with the then Premier Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal OBE, and met with the Minister Responsible for Overseas Territories, where one of the topics was about the borrowing guidelines and the Virgin Islands thoughts on going forward.

“It was made clear at the time that the whole issue of lumping the OTs in one pot and using a single spoon to serve was not something the BVI was prepared to sit by idly and accept. We had thought the meeting went well and our representation was accepted and received well,” he recalled. At that time Hon. Fraser was the Minister for Communications and Works under the Virgin Islands Party Government.

He recalled in November 2010, a draft document - a framework for fiscal responsibility - was sent to the Virgin Islands and was to replace the current borrowing guidelines which is being used and which was tabled in the House of Assembly in 2007 when the VIP had taken office for that term (2007 to 2011).

Hon. Fraser said while much of the principles of borrowing remained the same “they got smart” and there were some other small adjustments including the issue of sending the VI’s budget to the UK.

“One of the things in that guideline for fiscal responsibility was that the condition was that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office must receive our budget two months prior to it being approved in this House,” he recalled.

He further recalled in July 2011, there was an Overseas Territory Heads meeting which he and the then Premier O’Neal had attended where among the issues discussed was the same framework for fiscal responsibility and how the Virgin Islands would deal with it. However, he said the meeting with the UK was set for November 2011 but before it could have happen the VIP had lost the election and the new Government was then left to deal with the issue and attend that meeting.

“The current Premier went to London in November, he came back and told the country that he asked for additional time which was accepted and granted in order to deal with that whole issue of addressing that framework for fiscal responsibility,” Hon. Fraser pointed out.

UK Budget condition: Not a VIP or NDP issue

The third district representative said the whole issue of the framework responsibility being adapted by the VI is not an issue for him, but a Territorial issue of having to send it to UK prior to being approved.

“Sending our budget to the UK is not a VIP issue, is not an NDP issue, it’s a country issue, it is all of us issue and a matter that we need to make sure that every effort has been made to avert something like that happening,” he charged.

The outspoken politician said he has been in the legislative council for some 13 years and this was the first time such an issue was brought to the forefront and it was important that everything be done that is possible to ensure it doesn’t happen regardless of the party in power.

He said he had hoped at some point the current Premier would inform everyone on the status on the issue. The HOA sitting continues this morning March 23, 2012 from 10 a.m.