Money transfer services not part of 'internal economy'- Premier Fahie
"The economy has been shut down for almost a month now. In this first phase of the reopening of our economy, only businesses that will directly contribute to national flow of income to the internal economy has been allowed to reopen first," Hon Fahie told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) in an invited comment.
Internal economy rebooting first
Yesterday, April 28, 2020, the 'Imposition of a Curfew (No. 14) Order, 2020' was gazetted to take effect from today, April 29, 2020, as part of the current 1:00pm-6:00am daily curfew for the purpose of suppressing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the Territory.
However, while the order did specify that Insurance and Financial Services that cannot be carried out remotely would be allowed to operate at specific times, notably missing was money transfer services.
Now, according to the Premier, money transfer services will have to remain closed until the internal economy reboots. "The progress of the rebooting of our economy, internally first, will allow for complete and constant monitoring while trying to balance keeping our people safe," he said.
Some residents have already taken to social media to voice their disapproval of the move to not reopen the sector, a move that came without warning or explanation.
Progress will be measured - Premier Fahie
When questioned, Premier Fahie also could not say when the sector will be allowed to operate; however, he said the progress of the local economy will be measured and monitored.
"As the progress is measured it will make way for more and more businesses to reopen while adhering to ALL social distancing measures," he said.
The current 'Imposition of a Curfew (No. 14) Order, 2020' will remain in place until Sunday, May 10, 2020.
Government recently introduced a 7% levy on money transfer services which, according to the Premier, will see seven cents taken from every dollar leaving the Territory.
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167 Responses to “Money transfer services not part of 'internal economy'- Premier Fahie ”
Awesome move!! Now the people that order 2nd,3rd food to them house from the govt during this crisis need get dealt with now. I know is them
Who gets 80% of whose money after Rent, SS, Work permit fees, Taxes, Entertainment, NHI, Groceries etc? Allyuh continue. Believe me some will leave on their own free volition and if you all force out the rest them somebody else will have to keep this country afloat.
The current ones here are dispensble. They are not the preferred workforce in mosr other places. Unfortunately their reputation precedes them.
USVI can call a state of emergency and get federal financial aid the next day. Who the BVI can call on in case of disasters? USVI is a US territory and will always be attractive to immigrants not just for the dollar but the opportunity of starting your own business or going to school etc. In the BVI you have to wait 20 years and even then you lucky if you get through. Some may just use the USVI as a gateway as they would rather not stay in an overpopulated USVI where opportunities are fewer and crime is high.
The USVI being a US territory would have stringent protections for workers rights while in the BVI we have the labor department that cannot even implement a labor tribunal to hear disputes. Enough said.
The USA was built on the back of immigrants some came on their own free volition while others came by force. There are few modern day successful countries that did not have to rely on immigrants for development. We in the BVI are right now on the brink of collapse due to the COVID-19 pandemic so we need to be humble as we may well be soon looking work in another man's country.
I from here and I want money gram open I have children abroad and prefer to be here and struggle than my children struggle..
Island people this, island people that ANNOYING MAN!!! What island people do with their hard earn money isn’t your business.. mind yours and worry about your spendings
Bamm!!!
The term should be "foreigners". Foreigners should know how to behave in someone else country, stop defending them.
Belongers who abused the system should be fined, but foreigners who did it should be deported asap.
I unusually sent through the transfer service and my daughter don't have a cent or nobody there at her college. This is not well thought-out.
You should be a shame to be a local standing in them lines . locals use PayPal and online methods. We not below standards shame on you ester
How can any right thinking Christian support this?
Dem goin bawl r@$$%
Keep the money in the country
People still have a means to send money by using the banks same line same time. Every one may not have a bank account but some will.
Keep your eyes on the prize and to the Eastern sky.
I hope f**** not pretending because he not with vip we know for a fact he don’t like island people for years now . In the local eyes if you not from the Virgin Islands, US & British And the USA & UK them talk down on you
"We don't want YOU to invest"
"No you can't send YOUR money away"
"No you can't take YOUR money with you"
Nice!
You are a disgusting person with no values and probably at the lowest scale of human evolution. Congratulations!
The proper grammar is "between you and I". Ok, not worth my time.
The bloggers on this site show no empathy or civilisation at all. Traits which would imply humanity. If they are not human, what are they? Unevolved?
Consistency here is TRASH!!!! But y’all busy mad at the island ppl who here doing the jobs ayo children ayo went the US to make and got scholarships from the BVI Government refuse to come back here to do.
Y’all need to shut up now with this island ppl nonsense. Wait till he come for ayo behind hope y’all have the same nasty attitude.
#bvibornandraised
Phase 1 rolled out one set of businesses and before Phase 1 could really get a chance to work(like a week) next day was Phase 2 because other business owners pressured him.
Financial services that cannot be operated remotely sounds like Western Union and money Gram to me.
Well the longer they stay to open the more likely that people will find other ways to send their income. Also with the imposition of the 7% does that now not make money services part of the internal economy? I thought that was for funding, farming, fishing, education, and land banks? SMH.
Plot thickens...
Guess who runs a WU franchise? Stay woke.
Government don’t need to open money gram and western union them need open LIAT
Too baf, they will always be catching crumbs. It is the price of ingratitude.
All these people coming under here to comment save it still wouldn’t change the fact that some ayu getting send home
I always defends this place that I call home..
But by just reading the comments.. shows the mentality of how some of you think.. you all did not learn from Irma.. and another hurricane season right round the corner... Just remember God don't sleep.. he always hear the cry of the poor..
What s wrong to send a lil money to your loved ones.. no body should tell me what the HELL to do with my money..
Have my old mother need her medication... but I can't send her any thing..
This is the woman who bring me into this world.. and my hands are tied.. cannot send her a penny now.
One mother I have..
Some of you all don't know what is love.. plain and simple..
And you know more than me.
My mother could hardly walk... can't leave her home to go out.. and I have no other alternative where she is concern... but may be you don't have a mother.
What goes around.. comes around. Have a good night.
She can use a computer. Her deceased husband, my father left her financially self reliant.She has many alternatiives.She has children who are all" comfortable"
My mother gives thanks daily, regardless. She taught her children to do the same.
All these, her good health and bounty. manifested because my mother is not evil and neverwas or will be.
Your life rewards or lack thereof is the real determinant of ones evilness.
You reap what you sow.
I in town by Virgin queens side and the amount of people there gathering we lot of local contractors here doing wrong with most them illegal people them got working here.
agreed, b8* people beyond wicked
I don’t know why the government don’t band them opposite side car
We had to move down by craft alive because the d**n is****** had our business looking low with the loitering every wall or steps them see them sit and occupy
One love
Is it now ok to allow these people (Island people) to be discriminated against based on their place of origin in these blogs? Please see the definition of the word. It is not just about "black and white". The only known truth about COVID 19 is that it does not discriminate. Suppose the "Islandmen/women" were the only ones catching the disease? Thank God we are all equal! We will never learn. WE SHOULD NEVER BE THE VOICE OF THIS VIRUS!
Recruiting and permitting people to work in VI and their keeping in touch with and taking care of family is a national cost of doing business. I don’t have a dog in this fight but we must show some compassion. No one should endure undue hardships and suffer unnecessarily due to unnecessary territorial bureaucracy. What are the overriding health and safety concerns? To me, it seems like the wire services can easily maintain physical distancing and other protective measures in delivering services.
Be Nice God in control
I am a fair person I do understand what Andrew is saying however this is a unprecedented time for the world
And I can’t fathom my family back home starving or suffering for food rent whatever it may be necessity wise.
It’s only fair if the ppl worked for their money to see about their families back home to send it if they choose
This could never be right.
As for the food wasn’t it for ppl who don’t have or was unable to get groceries ?
We tried placing orders online and couldn’t my husband applied for food for we never received it till date.
These ppl put into soo much on this little island yet whet it is to talk bout food.
I think The gov should make u all happy and send everyone back to their homes anyhow the world is collapsing soon enough the usd is going to collapse n they’ll be gone like Lightning.
And like myself who never watch money or here for it.
Would stay but others won’t not cause the usd collapsed but to deal with this racial negative way of how u ppl live act behave no shame n sadly most of u go church ur hearts wicked ur mind nasty orrr ur days are numbered just like mines the diff is when we die is the lake of fire for the ones like u.
Hurricanes I won’t worry the big one is coming for u the big one .
The business of the VI for the benefit of the whole takes precedence over your petty squabble with the world,s methods of banking and communication.
This is not personal nor isit about you or your money tree abroad.
Paul Farmer
Why do you leave your home, a better place and do this to yourself?
Why Why?
And complaining, to who and for what?
Definition of crazy, is doing the same thing repeatedly and getting the same result.
Very good you nailed it
On another note - I agree with the Premier's move. If the money goes out, it is not circulating in the territory. (Instead we will be holding up another country's economy while ours plummet.)
Additionally, it will not bode well for those who are in our territory solely for economical reasons. If the money is not circulating here, then companies would fold ... and no work for you! I will not spell out the ripple effects because I credit the reader with understanding.
WHY SO MUCH HATE AMONG PEOPLE THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU UR BROTHERS?????
WHY BVI GIVE WORK PERMIT ?????
WHY 80% DONT WANT THE JOBS THAT ARE HERE
WHO BUILT BACK THIS AFTER THE HURRICANES????
WHY YOU SAY ISLAND PEOPLE THIS AND THAT IF SOMEONE DONT SPEAK LIKE YOU U SAY THEY ARE EVIL
YOU ALL TALK ABOUT TRUMP???????YOU ALL MAKE TRUMP LOOK LIKE HIM NOT EVEN TRYING????
WHY IS MAIN PRODUCT HERE IS DRUGS EVERY BODY INVOLVED??????? WEATHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY?????
IF ITS WAS NOT FOR ISLAND PEOPLE WHO 70 percent A U ALL WOULD HAVE A WIFE OR HUSBAND AND KIDS ???????
WHY UNO SO UNGODLY??????VANITY VANITY VANITY WILL NOT SAVE YOU ???????ALL WHEN IT REACH THE SKY
WHY YOU ALL SO THIEF?????THE RECORDS IS THERE TO SEE??????
WHY YOU ALL SO CORRUPT????
WHY YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS THAT HAVE NO VALUE TO YOU?????? WHEN MR DEATH COME AM PLEASE ASKING YOU TO CARRY THE LAND???????
WHY YOU ALLL DRIVE 50000 CAR BUT LEAVE INNA FOUR BY FOUR APARTMENT?????
YOU SAY ISLAND PEOPLE TURNING HERE INTO A TASH .....WHAT ABOUT ALL THE HOMOSEXUAL HERE THAT YOU ALL EMBRACE????????? YOU CAN CHANGE GOD LAW !!!!! VANITY WILL NOT SAVE YOU U ALL NEVER LEARN ....WE HAVE RACISM FROM WHITES AND BLACKS WOW NEW LOW HYOCRITES!!!! HOW DOES PROFIT YOU TO GAIN THE WORLD??????????????? WHILE YOU CONTINUE TO BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES ........THE TEN 10 COMMANDMENTS WILL STAND AT THE END OF THE DAY ..........
(1) BVISLANDERS pay taxes (2) BVISLANDERS pay social security (3) BVISLANDERS pay NHI (4) BVISLANDERS don’t have first preference for jobs in BVI (4) BVISLANDERS suffer greatly at the hands of migrants daily (5) BVISLANDERS are the ones losing jobs (6) BVISLANDERS don’t grab for government freebies (7) BVISLANDERS are the ultimate losers when idiotic uninformed and illiterate newscasters call BVI a tax haven just because they can’t send money HOME.
Who own these businesses? Non BVIslanders?
Come on . Really don't see the need to be vindictive when some businesses were opened but others not. Additionally a lot of funds are transmitted to the BVI through these establishment to pay for rent, utilities, government fees etc.
As per the 7% its definitely a spear in the expats behind. However a lot of BVIslanders will feel the pinch when they have to remit funds to their parents, children or other family members outside the territory.
I am most certain that by now a few hundred thousands would already have been collected for the government had these establishments been opened.
Sad ting Caricom aka down the islands
Are big and beautiful live better than u
Half of u getting old waiting for ur parents to die to take house and businesses not realizing how old u getting n May close ur eyes b4 ur parents.
You are disgusting is it ur race
I know many Africans in my homeland country and they not like u guys at all.
Infact i. My country it’s cultural to invite meet and greet cookout and drink with a foreigner that’s how we call the other islands anyways.
Most of the women here don’t like us because there jealous of the island women especially latinas well that’s a diff story they could eat them
Alive infact they wish they could snap a finger to immigration n send them