Dr. Smith inked money-borrowing guidelines with UK in secret – Premier
Alex Holder - BVI News Staff Reporter - Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 11:09 AM
VIP Chairman Ralph T. O'Neal
Opposition leader Dr. D. Orlando Smith inked borrowing guidelines with the British Government while he was Chief Minister between 2003 and 2007; and he did so without making it public by taking it to the legislative council.
Premier and Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Ralph O’Neal made this disclosure on Saturday as he addressed a VIP rally.
O’Neal said he merely stumbled upon the document while in office some time ago and took the necessary steps to get the document through cabinet then to the House in order that it may become a public document.
Dr. Smith, the governor of the day and the relevant minister in the UK, inked the said document.
This was just one of the many infractions of the past leader that O’Neal says he has up his sleeves for release.
O’Neal said the hospital project that was started by the NDP government saw no financial returns to the territory though payroll taxes, a basic mandatory requirement on any wages being paid. In this case, the majority of the wages went to foreign recruited workers.
“Not one cent was collected as payroll tax. Not our people but a set of people come in and work for it and didn’t pay the payroll tax. Our people have to pay it and they pay it. But the NDP that’s what they did. And now they are telling you they are dear hearts and gentle people,” O’Neal said.
UK’s announced screening of BVI budget
The Premier defended claims from the NDP that he and his government knew of the UK’s intention to screen the territory’s budget some two months before it is presented in the House of Assembly for approval.
He said the matter is not as it is being presented by the opposition. He said what is actually happening is a request from the UK government to all overseas territories, not only the BVI. And negotiations are ongoing.
“I listened to what the leader of the opposition had to say about the statement made by the Deputy Premier, where he said that he was appalled. Well I am shocked at the way he went on. Yes, we are negotiating but not alone.”
“It is all the overseas territories. And no negotiations have completed as yet because it has got to be discussed in London when the OTCC takes place on November 22. So how could he talk about being shocked”?
The Minister of Finance said he is currently being pressured by the UK to table his comments on the subject, a request he is yet to honour. “We have to be careful because we do not want to get under the clinches of the British Government when it comes to money,” he said.
O’Neal pointed out that the matter is indeed a serious one as the BVI has, since 1977 been able to carry its own budget without aid from the UK and according ot how the revenue the territory has to know how the “manage” its money.
“That is what we are doing. I do not want to know that this territory comes to the position that we have to be begging them (the UK) for money,” O’Neal clarified.
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15 Comments
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You are behaving so ERRACTIC.
In complete information, like half truths are killing our Territory. The Borrowing Guidelines like the fact that the British must okay our Budget Proposals have been the subject of open discussion for sometime. The Borrowing Guidelines existence were never a secrete so I am confuse.
The idea that Government reports, research and other information can not be made public until they are approved by Cabinet and Laid in the House of Assembly is unfortunate and is not in keeping with the principle of keeping the People involved.
I do believe that Decisions of Government and Policy positions are official when they are approved by Cabinet and Laid at the House of Assemble.
Secondly, there is the Principle of Collective Responsibility. Decisions of Cabinet is the decision of Government and they are Collectively Responsible regardless of the individual position. The breaking of that principle is troubling therefore when one says ‘I’m in the room, and I’m on record as opposing this or that’ is unfortunate and must be discourage.
So Hon. Premier stop hiding being this ploy for reports, discussion documents and information; and use it only for Policies, Treaties and Decisions.
This is like beating a dead horse as spending is up, revenue is way down and the only Statutory body that is fearing it well for the time being is Financial Services. Even that is showing signes of fatigue.The question which begs an answer is how much longer will the UK allow us to go down this road before they say enough is enough!!
Some ayo need locking up…you atumbled across a document like this? When? And now youre trying to tell us that you can’t talk about how this would be handled with the uk? I think u r forgetting that u work for us and not yourself. That’s why I’m not aligning myself with no party.
YES!!! both these major parties are a waste of time. Agree with you 100% to see what fresh new blood can be elected.
LOL!! Why didn’t you tell us this when you stumbled upon this document when elected in 2007? Then you too can be accused of keeping a secret no? Dr Smith had a secret, you found out and kept the secret, does that make you better than him?
But I don’t expect nothing less than a Government that wants to take us back 8yrs to look at other people’s records because they do not have one of their own. Can’t wait for 7 November!!
Youre an idiot…. He did say he took it to cabinet and made it public!!!
when did he take it to Cabinet. It was never taken. The problem with this is that he knows about the borrowing guidelines and they have overspent their limits and borrowing margin why we in this mess today.
It was examined and discussed to see what was really doing on. Then it was taken to the house like it should have been back then.
this aint no secret for everyone knows that dr smith is a snake in the grass
Remarkable that this entire campaign he has never uttered a word about what he can do for the country. Does he really think by bickering, complaining and talking about other people he will win the election? His family and friends need to sit him down and convince him to bow out of the race. He only proves himself an incompetent leader. Well, we already knew that and have been ashamed of him on many occassions, but someone needs to tell him the truth!
I believe the VIP are already begging for another loan for approval by the UK Foreign Office (not given).
Have you seen the flurry of petty contracts being awarded at the moment – and improvements being made to private properties with government funds in exchange for votes. Yep, election time is here.
I hope contractors know they probably won’t get paid unless this massive loan comes through
Did the UK give the BVI Government a loan or they are required to approve loans which the BVI gets from lenders like CDB or any other. This is known by all for a long time from the days of “White Paper”. Most likely Dr. Smith was agreeing to revised guidelines. However the existing Premier claims that he took it to Cabinet and the HOA for approval. This is good and maybe the reason why the NDP government started the hospital with no approved loan funding in place to pay for the construction costs. But this is the nature of Government, the successor must remedy or finish anything which was started which the people of the BVI wants…a hospital.
You think this is an empty vessel? Like the one in 2007 when all those contracts were given out and no money, and VIP had to find money to pay for them same contracts? This different story. Money there.
We going mek you you in there, cause you going to them talks.
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