It’s going to be a rough ride – Hon. Fraser cautions residents
This is according to Hon. Julian Fraser RA, 3rd district representative, at his district party held on Saturday January 14, 2012 at Ellis Thomas Downs.
“Some promises were made to you and evidently…obviously you believe in those promises and decide to vote the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) out of Government and brought in a new Government. I am here to tell you this evening ladies and gentlemen, from where I sat for the last four years, the world economy has not changed, as a matter of fact Europe has gotten worse so fasten your seatbelts and prepare yourself for a rough ride,” he stated.
The former Minister for Communications and Works said that since 2009 the world and the VI have been saddled by the economic crisis, adding that his party from 2007-2011 has guided the Territory through some very difficult times.
Commenting on Government’s latest cost cutting measures to increase its reserve fund, which has led to a 50 percent reduction in civil servants’ performance increments and seven percent of operational expenditure in government departments, the 3rd district representative said he was not surprised at the announcement.
“I expected it. I knew it was going to happen because sitting where I sat as a Minister in Government we tried, and we made every effort to keep the public service happy to keep things the way they were. And I knew that this Government as it took office had to make some adjustments,” he disclosed to this news agency.
Asked if the Government’s move was to save face from laying off public servants, the district representative replied, “This is just one step. This is not the end…and while I was in Government and the campaign was going on people on the outside did what opposition do. They talk. People in Government and in places of responsibility don’t make statements such as those and now the reality is stepping in and they are beginning to see what is going on. One time I understood that a statement that was made it was not a worldwide economic problem, well now they are there if it’s a BVI problem why are they cutting back on the increments, why are they cutting back on the expenditure on the Territory. Let us see, promises were made to the people of the BVI and like I just said, fasten your seatbelts and prepare yourself for a rough ride because those promises cannot be fulfilled.”
However, the veteran politician added that he is prepared to work with Government.
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