NDP’s “reckless” actions created emergence of Biwater- Hon. Fahie
Hon. Fahie was speaking to Virgin Islands News Online regarding an article published on another local news site, which alleged that Global Water Associates has threatened to seek legal action to recover approximately $22.9M due to Government's failure to honour two agreements signed in 2006 with the company.
The article further stated that the two agreements were signed between the company and the National Democratic Party (NDP) administration on September 19, 2006, but were never honoured during the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration between 2007 and 2011 and that according to the design build agreement No. 395/2006, Global Water Associates was contracted to design, build and install a water reclamation plant at Paraquita Bay, while the second agreement No. 398/2006 required the company to manage, operate and maintain the plant.
But according to Hon. Fahie, since 2007 during the NDP's Administration to present and even during the VIP's term in office, he has been raising concerns about the two Global Water Associates contracts. He also said as recent as the last Sitting of the House of Assembly he had asked Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark Vanterpool about the contract but he reportedly used sections of the Standing Order to refrain from answering the questions.
“In 2007 during the then NDP's Administration, during the question & answer period of the Sitting of then LEGCO, the NDP did not admit that there were two contracts but rather only assured us that there was only one contract with Global Water Associates; however, the information now being revealed apparently differs significantly from that which we were assured.”
NDP’s “reckless” actions proving to be costly
Hon. Fahie said the contract he was aware of regarding Global Water Associates included paying $20 per thousand gallons to refine sewage water to make it environmentally safe to throw into the sea. “Meanwhile, they hired a company that advised them (NDP Administration) to reduce the water price for the water produced by Ocean Conversion from just over $12 to $6.88 per thousand gallons. This course of action significantly contributed to the financial challenges of the local BVI investment group. In addition the contract replaced a local engineer who was working on the sewage project because, in my opinion, for political reasons.”
The First District Representative added that during the VIP's administration he stated that the two contracts by the NDP with Global Water Associates left the door wide open for Biwater. Had they (NDP) renewed Ocean Conversions contract, Hon. Fahie continued, and taken care of the local investment group, then a lot of monies that were paid out, is being paid out and will be paid out by Government would have been avoided. He opined that instead politics and self interest, rather than country, was allowed to rule from 2006. “Now we are hearing that one of the possible repercussions is that our Treasury will be called upon to pay over 21 plus million dollars to Global Water Associates, as starters.”
“These points I have been stating in the LEGCO/House of Assembly from 2007 during the NDP's Administration to present. I always said that this and other water/sewage contracts need reviewing in the best interest of the people but the NDP got a significant number of persons just to concentrate on Biwater when the truth be told that their actions created the emergence of Biwater. As I always state what my people of the 1st District tell me, when destruction is your motivation, your motivation becomes your destruction.”
The online news site also alleged that Global Water Associates is claiming payment of $804,253.80 being the difference between the contractual amount of $2,680,846 and the payment by Government in the amount of $1,876,592.20 under the design and build agreement. Additionally, Global Water Associates has submitted a claim for $21,900,000.00 being the value of the management agreement. It also said that, according to its sources, this is based on the plant's maximum daily capacity of 250,000 United States gallons per day for 12 years at a contractual rate of $20 for every 1,000 US Gallons of influent to the plant.
The site added that based on information, Global Water Associates is also seeking financial compensation of $275,000.00 for the deterioration of the equipment purchased at the commencement of the design build agreement, which continues to sit unused.
“As a result we all must now pay for these careless and reckless acts because the signing by the 2007 NDP administration of a $100M Hospital Expansion Project signed for $64M and just securing at the time only $35M in loan funds from the Social Security Board and leaving the Government's saving known as the Consolidated Fund to carry the rest of the millions of dollars required was also a careless and reckless act by the then NDP Administration, ” the Opposition member stated.
Hon. Fahie said this alleged course of action left the treasury gasping for air from then to now and was a serious financial impediment during the VIP 2007-2011 administration “because the majority of Funds used from the Consolidated Fund could not be returned to the Treasury as the BPPR loan we were later told stipulated” had to go into the Hospital Expansion project to what it was loaned for.
“This was contrary to what was advised by the financial advisors. This, coupled with five storms and one of the worse worldwide economic downturns in history in 2008, is what the last administration had to battle financially. Now the NDP Admin is marketing that they met the country broke and forgetting that their careless and reckless actions in the lack of proper timely loan financing of the Hospital Expansion Project for themselves by themselves is what they need to inform the people and get off their current un-factual marketing frenzy that the last Administration destroyed the finances of the Territory.”
Opposition will not be silenced
Hon. Fahie promised that himself and fellow Opposition members would continue to be outspoken and use the channels available to inform the people they represent.
“Now they want to silence the Opposition through revising the Standing Orders but we are duly elected like them and the people's voice will not be silenced nor will we be intimidated. We will be assertive and extremely respectful. This apparent political bullying will not deter the Opposition from doing the people's work in terms of getting out information to the people. With God's help we will move forward,” Hon. Fahie assured.
Efforts to reach Hon. Vanterpool for a comment were unsuccessful.
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61 Responses to “NDP’s “reckless” actions created emergence of Biwater- Hon. Fahie”
You mean NDP sign a secret contract in 2006 when we already had Cavin Malone doing the same thing?
This is sick somebody needs to go to jail for the global water contract… I feel for the future generations under this NDP government!!!
The country needs to get from under the hold of the NDP and VIP same old $h1+!!!!
Please the rock..all the NDP was doing from 2003-2007 and now for the pass 11 months was wasting our money doing $h1+...this global water contract is yet another example
Now see what they NDP has left the tax payers with a legal process that could cost us millions...now poor we tax payers have to pay.
- Ugly wall in SCBay costing tax payers between $500-$700K
- Stoplights at the round-about even after the contractor said they won't work - $500k +
- Greenhouses with no studies - $6mil
- Medical School Study with no findings - $600K
- Drag race study with no findings - $100K
- ESHS fence around the school - $1mil
- Purcell Community Center - $2mil and still unfinished
- $500K to pave Havers PRIVATE road just before Elections
- Cutting roads to nowhere - costs unknown
- East End Field - $400K, where did it go?
- Sea Cows Bay Marina (illegal) - $500K plus
I can think of many more. So this is not in defense of NDP, I'm not a blind partisan, I agree they got some explaining to do for some things. But Andrew, don't act like NDP made you all spend money like idiots on those stupid projecst mentioned above and more. When you don't have money you don't spend like that. So yes, let's investigate these contracts and the chips fall where they may, but Andrew is in no position to talk about reckless spending. iPads, tents all around the campus, over $700k in studies of no sense and he here talking? The Education Minister has been there for 10 months and look at the long list of accomplishments. That's all that Fahie is upset about! HE has been in that spot for 8yrs and doesnt have a crutch to stand on.
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1. Port Purcell Ghut;
2. West End Park;
3. Anegada projects whereby contractors get paid twice for unfinished works.
So if that is the game we will make a change every 4 years..VIP you going back in 2016
Just like he signed those protocol that give away out birth right and before he walk with a lawyer (AND I DO NOT MEAN MYRON) or Ronnie who knows about finance he gone to England with less arse Marlon who aint know he head from he backside just trying to show off on Dancia we QC and now see what it got us...NDP shows their incompetence daily
JVD
If the contract was signed in 2006 by NDP and VIP were elected in 2007. They did nothing about it for 4yrs, only now we are hearing about it. How is that an embarrassment for NDP? You people are not entitled to your own facts. The contract may have issues and NDP will have to be blamed for that, but don't act like VIP are saviors. The real question everybody is asking is why did VIP sign the biwater contract knowing that this one was hanging over our heads. Why don't you answer that? The protocols would've been signed regardless of which Government went in. VIP played bullies and that's why they couldn't get the approved money. NDP in a few months and they got it. Who do you want running your country? As someone else already said, it's a good thing majority of people think for themselves. VIP had Hospital, Water, Sewerage, Education and other things to deal with. Had an 11-2 majority which is unheard of anywhere and they BLEW IT!! So JVD, you take seat
Democracy is the tool that enables eligible voters to select candidates they feel will DO THE LEAST HARM. In turn, those elected are permitted to use our tax dollars to run the government machine to ensure that our infrastructure is properly built, managed and maintained.
Unfortunately, the altruistic concept of democracy has a rather large Achilles heel. It is defenceless against those who would use public office to promote self interests and cronyism. It is also defenceless against despotism, oligarchism, incompetence and even mindless stupidity. In other words, those elected are permitted to waste our money in any way they see fit ~ with impunity. If a business were to be run in the same manner as government, it would be bankrupt in no time at all. Yet surprisingly, we all seem to cherish democracy. Go figure!
It goes without saying that we’d all like to vote for the best man or woman for the job! Sadly, true visionary leaders are seldom interested in running for political office. They are too busy running successful businesses of their own. So we must console ourselves with the knowledge that there will always be another election around the corner and that sometime in the not too distant future, we can collectively choose another set of candidates we believe will DO THE LEAST HARM. Perhaps the next bunch might try to spend our money more fruitfully and show the voters a modicum of respect whilst spending our great grandchildren’s tax dollars. Finding candidates that might actually have some interest in representing the interests of the people instead of their own ~ would be a very welcome change!