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If locals are to benefit from economy, they must be able to fill jobs – Premier

- as GDP numbers points to resilience of economy with need to expand production
Virgin Islands (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) says if Virgin Islanders are to truly benefit from local economy, then they must be able to benefit from the job market as well as be able to fill available jobs as production capacity increases. Photo: Internet Source
In his first Budget Address delivered on November 29, 2022, the Premier noted that one very important thing the VI must consider in 2023 looking forward, is that in order to sustain growth in the local economy, provisions and preparations must be made for increasing the local production capacity. Photo: HoA/Youtube
In his first Budget Address delivered on November 29, 2022, the Premier noted that one very important thing the VI must consider in 2023 looking forward, is that in order to sustain growth in the local economy, provisions and preparations must be made for increasing the local production capacity. Photo: HoA/Youtube
DUFF'S BOTTOM, Tortola, VI - Virgin Islands (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) says if Virgin Islanders are to truly benefit from local economy, then they must be able to benefit from the job market as well as be able to fill available jobs as production capacity increases.

In his first Budget Address delivered on November 29, 2022, the Premier noted that one very important thing the VI must consider in 2023 looking forward, is that in order to sustain growth in the local economy, provisions and preparations must be made for increasing the local production capacity.  

Increasing local capacity

“This is important. If we want to achieve our goals we must source the resources. But also, if Virgin Islanders are to truly benefit from economic activity and growth in our homeland – as we rightfully should, then we must identify what skills will be needed, what resources must be needed, and we must ensure that our people are qualified to fill those positions when they emerge.”

He said the Government remains committed to strengthening local training and other institutions to accomplish this purpose.

He said the GDP numbers also speak to resilience, where nominal GDP growth projections for the Virgin Islands in 2021 was about 2.2%, following the contraction in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“The evidence to support this growth was in the return of activities in the tourism industry, with the increase of economic activities within the wholesale and retail industry and accommodation and food services.”

Growth happening across various sectors - Premiere 

He said real estate activities also saw signs of growth following the decision to waive stamp duty for Belongers and Virgin Islanders for the purchase of property and that confidence in the financial services sector continued to show a small but steady growth, while activities within other economic areas realized increases as well.

“As we end 2022, we estimate tourism-related activities to continue to boost economic activities throughout many sectors including accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail and transportation and storage,” he said.

Additionally, he said with the ongoing Green initiatives throughout the Virgin Islands, it is expected that some spinoff activities will come which includes construction, in both the private and public sectors, along with the e-Government transformation initiative, and the administration of the COI recommendations all expected to also add value to the year’s annual economic growth. 

Year could close out @ 3.5% growth - Premier 

“Given these planned activities, the Ministry of Finance and the Government are confident that our output performance for 2022 could close the year at a 3.5% growth in comparison to 2021,” he said.

He said some of the plans for the medium-term are food security initiatives, the continuation of construction projects such as the Elmore Stoutt Technical Wing, the Jost Van Dyke Primary School, the Halls of Justice, the Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Center, the Palm Grove Center Redevelopment, air access and Airport upgrades; financial services fee increases; the International Tax Authority (ITA) filing fee proposal; along with other initiatives.

From these plans, he said it is projected that nominal growth for the medium term will be 2.9% in 2023, all things being equal. 

25 Responses to “If locals are to benefit from economy, they must be able to fill jobs – Premier”

  • one eye (03/12/2022, 14:15) Like (21) Dislike (2) Reply
    First job we going fill is a new and real premier
    • Rubber Duck (03/12/2022, 21:14) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
      We need to get our people out of non jobs in the Govt and into proper jobs in the private sector.
  • pure lip service (03/12/2022, 14:20) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    and he put us to bid against each other?
  • cgb (03/12/2022, 14:46) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    You need a new job!
  • lol (03/12/2022, 15:13) Like (16) Dislike (7) Reply
    Hope you all know that he is qualified to work any where in the world unlike some of you bloggers that are here hiding behind bloggers telling him to go and look New job.
    Why can't you bloggers challenge him on points which he said that would cause the economy to grow. Come people.
    • @ lol (03/12/2022, 15:24) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
      Blah blah blah blah ????
    • thank you (03/12/2022, 16:25) Like (11) Dislike (14) Reply
      A lot of people took it as him being cocky, but he wasn’t. Honestly, he can go anywhere in the world and be qualified for a job. Regardless of what you say, love him or hate him, he is a well educated Black man. I am just tired of the wo wo wo about him not getting back in office and we got something up in the 7th for him come election time and YADA YADA. Enough of the BS already.
      • agreed (03/12/2022, 20:39) Like (2) Dislike (13) Reply
        As a Black man, you have to get that education to survive in this society. He was not wrong when he said he can go anywhere in the World and get hired.
    • @LOL (03/12/2022, 16:32) Like (12) Dislike (1) Reply
      Dats a question? Somebody that CANNOT MAINTAIN ROADS IN HIS OWN DISTRICT or CUT THE BUSH AROUND RHE PLACE is qualified to work anywhere around the world???? Based on what, his PhD on African names/language. The only thing he qualified to do is make up questionable African name like his own. You must be the one writing all this nonsense about economic growth on his behalf to make him seem 1/10 qualified. Two of you are a joke. Wherever in the world he is qualified, LET THEM HAVE HIM, I am begging!
      • As far as the bush cutting part (03/12/2022, 20:55) Like (3) Dislike (19) Reply
        Why can’t you lazy guys get up and take some pride in yourself and your community and handle the bush cutting in your community. Why you have to wait for the Government to do it. Soon you guys is going to expect the Government to clean inside your filthy homes. And I have seen inside some of your filthy homes. Dress all nice and dolled up on the outside and inside your homes is filthy. Have you ever seen a WHITE STOVE IN SOMEONES HOME THAT IS YELLOW FROM ALL THE CAKED ON GREASE AND GRIME? How do you prepare food on a filthy stove? That is why I don’t eat street food from anyone, because you don’t know if the food was prepared in a clean home kitchen.
        • @ss far as Bush cuttting (04/12/2022, 13:17) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
          Because my lazy backside too busy working from 8am to 8pm to pay the taxes that is being used to hire the government to do it for me. But since I must do their work PLUS mine, they will ALL BE FIRED! That is how it works. Dumb question.
  • Agreeable One (03/12/2022, 15:25) Like (19) Dislike (2) Reply
    Two pieces of advice I would give our premier to help the job situation in our VI.
    1. Take tourism seriously and we will have excellent employment opportunities available. Right now tourism is like a 12 cylinder car firing on 6.
    2. Encourage and assist parents with doing a better job at parenting. Too many of our young VIslanders are just not suited for the workplace. I agree this is a tough one but something has to be done with the youths. My 2 cents. ????????
  • bvi (03/12/2022, 15:56) Like (14) Dislike (4) Reply
    The government needs to stop allowing people to come in for for work and people that already live here can do..you mean rightward have to bring in someone to pack shelves etc things like this needs to stop .my brothers and sisters from the carribbean that live here needs to be in these job not a man from Philippines
    • @bvi (03/12/2022, 19:54) Like (11) Dislike (6) Reply
      Who from here going to pack shelves 9-5 for $ 6 an hour? The "man from the Philippines " you are talking about is probably the only person you could get these days to do that and he makes a lot of sacrifices like staying years on end away from his family, living and sharing living quarters with several other persons, refrain from some of the unnecessary luxuries we indulge in, buying a bicycle instead of a car, limit parting, cooking and taking meals from home, etc. He sees the value of every dollar so don't come on here talking about Philippinos and likewise if it ain't shirt and tie and office job most people who here already don't want so then my business should suffer?
      • @@bvi (03/12/2022, 21:05) Like (3) Dislike (5) Reply
        $6.00 per hour is better than not having anything. I honestly think people here is very selfish, they can find the money to buy the expensive stuff that they know they can’t afford then want to cry out about they can’t buy food. BS. You all live on a tiny Island ain’t nobody looking at you all or care.
        • @@@bvi (04/12/2022, 15:53) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
          Tell that to the young people that get paid that. Maybe ask them when....oh wait you can't get a hold of them because they call in sick regularly for their minimum wage job because "they don't get paid enough to work"
  • Loose mouth (03/12/2022, 19:22) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    I am going to say things that may offend some people but it is the truth. Most of our people (youths) and I say most, do not know what it's like to work from the bottom up and this is not because they lack ambition but the way they were taught. During the eighties or probably before that. (I am speaking according to my age) whenever a local person was employed, the employer was asked to give that person a post that was above the entry-level based only on the fact that they were local and not necessarily anything else. They were expected to be given accelerated promotion and people who were not local and held top post within the employment, were asked to train these persons to replace them. As such today, most of the based economic foundations. Like the tourism industry, construction, security (Police) , health services and, in some cases the financial sector etc, are held by "outsiders" with our people holding most of the top positions (I know this will bring some contentions) Nowadays, how many of our young people will go to work at a local supermarket for $6 an hour ($48. per day) working six days per week, hardly making a thousand dollars per month after the required deductions? Most prefer to stay home or sit on the block then we insult and curse expats who filled these posts. I am amazed when I hear Politicians say how many of our young people can't find jobs when a person from somewhere else, could come here today and find a job tomorrow. The problem therefore is not about finding a job, but finding the job a person prefers. If our economy is to really strong it should be built from the bottom up by both B.V. Islanders and other persons who intends to make these beautiful Islands their home.
  • My say now (03/12/2022, 20:02) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    Why is it that the schools don’t go up to the 12th grade. Leaving school in the 11th grade is considered a high school drop out.
  • stop (04/12/2022, 08:19) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    Stop living beyond your means to impress others. I have a regular 8-4 job and I am doing just fine. Every year beginning on the 1st of January, I would put every piece of loose change in one of those water cooler bottles and at the end of the year cash in. This year my total was $2,100 dollars. I am a 35 year old and my parents always taught me if you have a $1.00 you save 50 cents.
  • Truth (04/12/2022, 08:31) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    I have been living her over 30 years from a Caribbean Island , fully qualified with years of experience .Here is the problem;
    1. They take a local way under qualified put them over the position . Then when you make suggestions to improve the department the person knock it down because the idea did not come from them . Then they wait one year or six months after , bring up the idea as their own but cannot execute it because they do not understand the inner core behind it . That is one of the factors why the country is not growing .
    Some locals will tell you point blank they not working for 6 dollars an hour . So who will fill the post ? You all have to blame yourselves for lots of things . Next the young people will tell you , their parents have apartments so they do not have to work
    A lot of the trained locals do not come back to work here but choose greener pastures like Florida and Atlanta so who to blame
  • PT09 (04/12/2022, 08:50) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    @@bvi That's his choice.
  • This anti-local Premier need to be voted out of power. (04/12/2022, 10:49) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    No later than the next general election.
  • belonger (04/12/2022, 14:02) Like (3) Dislike (10) Reply
    I bahn here. I aint woking. It like slavery. — It’s a cultural thing. Where’s my coke ?
  • jah know (04/12/2022, 15:14) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well let's start with a technical college with minimum of 2 year courses. Brick/block laying courses, foundation, concrete, etc. Basic construction, plumbing, electrical, air conditioning and refrigeration, carpentry and other field work courses so we can get our locals as good or better than ppl who are imported for those work.
  • @ jah now (06/12/2022, 10:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Great idea, except for the fact that most youths from here don’t want to get their hands dirty


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