Audit being conducted into BVI Airways deal
Governor Augustus Jaspert
An audit is being conducted into the flopped agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and BVI Airways.
The Office of the Auditor General is investigating the matter, Governor Augustus Jaspert said during a media conference on Thursday.
He told journalists the audit commenced recently.
“I can’t comment on it (the audit) … but the Auditor General decided herself that she [and] her office is looking into it,” said the governor who noted that a “huge amount of money” was dumped into the airline.
The National Democratic Party (NDP) government had given the controversial airline $7 million to commence non-stop flights from the British Virgin Islands and Miami in the United States.
Since receiving public funds from the NDP, BVI Airways has missed all its promised dates to commence the flights.
It then laid off its staff; claiming it needed more money to fly.
BVI Airways has had a reputation for struggling financially.
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Well it’s about time we start locking up
Too much white collar crimes going unnoticed
BVI Airways is not struggling financially. They are the ones with the millions. It’s BVI that is struggling financially.
Governor please tell the Auditor to look into the BVI High School Wall next…and the catering contracts which they call ‘non-contracts’ along with the pier project and these ports contracts and the petty contracts just before the last election
So we looking at now or we going back all the way to prior years and catch them all, not just NDP?
NDP will come out of this on their feet. The collaboration by locals,dome with envy jealousy entitlement issues a desperate desire for Dr Smiths failure are contributing factors to the demise of this deal. The ” lord of the Universe ” will ultimately fix the devil’s disciple who will sell his soul in what will be failed efforts to one day become Premier.
@ As Usual…I agree…
Throwing $7.2M of taxpayers at BVI Airways, a defunct and bruk airline that previously couldn’t stay airborne and left owing the BVIAA over a $100K, was at best a BAD deal. Through the elation of potential non-stop flights from MIA to EIS, government forget to do due diligence, exercise effective stewardship and fiduciary responsibility. Neither visitors nor residents have yet to hop aboard a BVI Airways flight in MIA and deplane at EIS. When will flights start? Will we quicker see green mules flying into EIS?
Worse and vexing, is that government cannot give any accounting of the flights nor the taxpayers $7.2M. Well, the Leader of the Opposition was blamed for the inability to procure a loan, along with blaming the former Financial Secretary and Chairman of Tourist Board for their positive recommendations on proceeding with the deal. Here is a news; the ultimate decision was the Premier’s. Consequently, an investigation into BVI Airways is LONG overdue. It would have been gross negligence by the Guv if an investigation was not commissioned to find out what happened and clear the air. BVI residents need to know what happened to their $7.2M. This is an example of poor leadership, management…….etc that is a good case study of how not to and not worthy of emulation.
There needs to be stronger internal and management control of spending taxpayers money. The HOA needs to be more engaged. Passing the budget is one thing but spending money is yet another. No one person should have the authority and ability to disburse $7.2M. It is a structural governing failure that needs fixing.
Moreover , while we are at it, an independent investigation is needed into the $30-40M cost over run at Tortola Pier Park (TPP)……….etc.
What I dont understand is how we claim to the world that we have such good corporate governance with the FSC an arm of government always breathing down the backs of participants in the financial industry, inspecting and threatening and enforcing penalties for non compliance which includes lack of due diligicence but yet government name is being called for not conducting due diligence?! This make sense? And this is not the first time.
“There needs to be stronger internal and management control of spending taxpayers money. The HOA needs to be more engaged. Passing the budget is one thing but spending money is yet another. No one person should have the authority and ability to disburse $7.2M. It is a structural governing failure that needs fixing.”
It was always believed, with regards to spending and or disbursing government funds, that there {was}}is a weak and penetrable link for crooks,locals and internationals criminals alike, to take advantage of.
It is hoped that you may have exposed that weak link.Moreover,it is hoped that government has read your comment on this issue and are working overtime, even as we read, to close those loop holes.
As,many do sense that the government was robbed.
We want to know the following:
Why did Orlando pay the airline in advance of the time they were scheduled to be paid?
Were any of our dollars redidistribured by BVI Airlines to any parties as founder fees or joint venture fees?
As an investor/lender, do we have the rights to audit the airline? Should this information be made public?
Was there any payola to our public officials or their family members?
The worst and probably sole wrongdoing here is serial incompetence and financial indiscipline. So what else is new?
One thing, the NDP could move money sah. From sewage project to pier park and from the treasury to bvi airways
strupes, smh, strupes again……man dem NDP done got us again…..STRUPES :))
Politicians needs to be investigated, and it’s time we start locking up BVI minster’s present and past for miss handling government funds. Over spending on projects and nothing being to show for these high budget every year. The condition of roads and the beef island airport those should be top priorities for visitors to our country.
Nothing will happen I haven’t a clue what the auditor General actually does – for ex where are the audited yearly accounts for the past 5/6 years? No confidence anything will be done the “No Direction Party” led by Dr Smith has successfully made sure there is no proper accountability and financial transparency in their government….trouble is this is now really hurting the country as we can’t secure much needed loans to re-build! A legacy of Failure as somebody correctly observed…
Please have an inquiry as to why some employers after working their staff like slaves do not pay them on time. The money should be there in their account the morning of pay day. Also, if pay day falls on a weekend, like this weekend which everyone know is the start of festival, kids on summer break and people need a little change, these tight wads do not pay until next week Monday.
You all too ungrateful . The day ends at midnight. Go check your bank account tonight.
Yes but as usual will the findings be made public and will any action be taken or just another coverup
In order to conduct an audit you need documents.
My understanding is that there was no Agreement, there was no receipt, the BVI government received neither guarantees nor shares, and so there is no paper trail.
The auditor can follow the company through the Air Operating Ceretificate, but they will not find anything there that is not standard in any other airline.
Maybe the PM was scammed by professional scammers, pure and simple. I forecast there will be no paper trail and the audit will produce no concrete results other than the scammers who took over BVI Airways appeared to have been given $7.2 million by the BVI government.
Period.
The same scammers are now in the USA trying to start an airline using new investor funds (same scam, different day), and so far have been unsuccessful in taking over a Florida Certificate.
De money gorn. Move on.
MEH BOY!Somebody or bodies going jail for this one.
The BVI government can’t wipe their own a-s without 10 entities sharing in the endeavour. BVI Airways never existed. It was all a smoke and mirror show. The only due diligence the government did was to see how much they could put in their own pockets. Why would a government fund a private business. Only one reason. To steal from the people of the islands. Investigation will show nothing because the criminals are doing the investigation. This is why no one is going to lend the BVI money without off shore oversight.