Among the topics Hon Vanterpool spoke on in the House today was that of the settling of the Territory’s debts to its people and what it took for the Administration to clear those debts. Photo: VINO/File

Ninth District Representative and Leader of the Opposition The Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE in a recent interview with this news site had said that he does not get “too angry or vex” when the NDP says the VIP Administration “left the country broke” as he was confident that his VIP Administration [2007-2011] had left the Reserved Funds Account untouched, something he said no other previous government can challenge. Photo: VINO/File

Representative for the First District Honourable Andrew A. Fahie had brought it to light that a week after NDP got into power over $50 million went in from Financial Services which was no doing of theirs...which meant that they could have paid the bills. Photo: VINO/File

Among the topics Minister of Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool spoke on in the House today was that of the settling of the Territory’s debts to its people and what it took for the NDP Administration to clear those debts. But the Minister also felt it necessary to deem the debts as to have been created by the previous Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Administration.

The Minister said that the Government was frustrated “all through the year” because “we owed money to a lot of our citizens due to the situation we inherited.”

He said that under the instructions of the Hon Premier, the present Administration executed the contracts left by the previous VIP Administration. “I was pleased at the end of the year last year when the [Hon Premier and Minister of Finance] could announce that we had not only executed those contracts but we had paid for them,” he said.

Further the Minister said that the Territory has been able to bring in over $300 million in revenue in 2013.

Ninth District Representative and Leader of the Opposition The Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE in a recent interview with this news site had said that he does not get “too angry or vex” when the NDP says the VIP Administration “left the country broke” as he was confident that his VIP Administration [2007-2011] had left the Reserved Funds Account untouched, something he said no other previous government can challenge.

In a very recent exclusive interview with this news site, First District Representative Honourable Andrew A. Fahie had said, “This Administration is known for the things they do not tell you.” He had said that the infamous statement has become the bedrock of the NDP Administration. “But they do not tell you that a week after they got into power over $50 million came in from Financial Services which was no doing of theirs...which meant that they could have paid the bills.”

Hon Vanterpool said that he considered the midterm budget to be a very crucial one since the Territory is at a point in its history where, considering the economic turmoil internationally, the Territory has been able the ‘hold the ship steady’.

“We have been struggling, however, in thankfulness to God, comparatively speaking to many other countries around the world and [closer to home in the Caribbean], the Virgin Islands have fared relatively well,” he said.

“I believe it is in major part due to the leadership of our country under the guide of [Dr. The Honourable D. Orlando Smith],” said Hon Vanterpool, alluding to the Premier and Minister of Finance’s training as a surgeon to point to the way he handled the economy in the time of trouble.

Taking a swipe at the absent Opposition members, the Minister said, “It is our responsibility as a country to sit in the House and debate the budget and make decisions and I am certainly glad that we are here today to do that.”

Hon Vanterpool said in the House that he is feeling very confident that for the past two years, they have been trying to stabilize the ship. “A good captain may come through some storms and difficult times. And even in the middle of those storms and difficult times and in those rough seas, the good captain may try to stay the ship in the best possible way he can manoevre through those storms, through those waves to be able to settle it,” he said.

He challenged the commercial banks in the Territory to make the process easier for loans to be accessed by the local population. He said that there is no loan without risk and ask that the banks do more to facilitate and take a chance with the local people not only for car loans but for purchasing homes and investing in business enterprises.

He said that while Opposition is good and important, it must work with vision to see where to is going and not just criticize for criticism sake or for power.

This website sought out Members of the Opposition earlier this afternoon February 11, 2014, for responses to Government to the then ongoing one-sided debate but these attempts were futile.