Amidst its abandoned state, the hurricane devastated Prospect Reef property of the Virgin Islands (VI) government has maintained on staff, three security guards who allegedly have not been paid a salary since August of 2018. Photo: VINO/File

"Believe it or not they got employees there," were the words uttered by Opposition Member of Parliament, Hon Julian Fraser, RA (R3) who revealed the shocking info while making his contributions to the Budget Debates in the VI House of Assembly (HoA) on April 26, 2019. Photo: VI HoA

He noted that before the 2017 Hurricanes the property was in the process of being transferred to investors, "I want this government to take a special interest in ensuring... that facility gets the kind of care and attention that it needs... Efforts should be made, must be made, to get investors involved in bringing those things to life," he implored. Photo: VINO/File

"Believe it or not they got employees there," were the words uttered by Opposition Member of Parliament, Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3), who revealed the shocking info while making his contributions to the Budget Debates in the VI House of Assembly (HoA) on April 26, 2019.

Protecting the Fort

According to Hon Fraser, the property is in such as state of disrepair, it remains an eyesore, "I understand what they are guarding is against vagrants," he further revealed as a reason why the facility sill employs staff.

Mr Fraser in bringing the issue to the floor suggested that "People might try to take up residence there, so they trying to keep them out... We have a lot of people without no homes, without no place to live in the territory and that might be a nice place for them to consider," he said.

He, however, underscored the troubling point that the guards have allegedly received no salary for the last several months, "The last time they got paid is August, but they religiously go to work and seemingly no matter who they talk to, they can’t get paid," he said.

"I am saying to you this morning that these people are people too and they have to live," he implored to the House and the Premier, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1).

No Benefits to Territory

Mr Fraser further pointed out that the Prospect Reef facility has not benefited the territory for years, “[no benefits] for government, for the public, for [the] community, for my community for the last fifteen years," he says.

He noted that before the 2017 Hurricanes, the property was in the process of being transferred to investors, "I want this government to take a special interest in ensuring... that facility gets the kind of care and attention that it needs... Efforts should be made, must be made, to get investors involved in bringing those things to life," he implored.

According to Hon Fraser, he is also unaware about whether or not the entity gets any finances since according to him, he has never seen it appeared before the Standing Finance Committee nor has he seen a subvention assigned to the facility.