AUDIT: Over $1.7M in grants issued without approval
A recent audit report revealed that over $1.7 million in COVID-19 relief grants were issued without Cabinet approval during the government’s MSME Grant Programme, designed to support small businesses in the BVI during the pandemic.
The audit, which scrutinised the programme under the previous Andrew Fahie-led administration, has raised serious concerns about transparency and proper financial management.
The MSME COVID-19 Grant Programme was initially launched with a $6.5 million budget in June 2020, aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises cover operational costs while stimulating the economy. However, the audit report uncovered that the Premier’s Office processed over $1.7 million in additional grants during an extended application period without securing approvals from Cabinet or obtaining further funding.
No additional approvals for extra Funding
According to the audit, the Cabinet’s original decision did not include any provisions for additional funding once the allocated $6.5 million was exhausted. Yet, during the extension of the grant programme, the Premier’s Office awarded significant additional funds without seeking further Cabinet approval.
“The Premier’s Office processed the additional grants, in excess of $1.7 million, despite a remaining budget of $381,991, without seeking additional funding for the programme or Cabinet approval for the additional grants,” the report states.
This action led to the programme exceeding its budget by $917,656 by May 2021. The audit highlighted that payments continued beyond the programme’s intended funding, a clear deviation from the approved financial plan.
The audit also raised concerns about transparency during the extended application period. The Committee that initially managed the grant approvals was not re-engaged for the additional applications, and the Premier’s Office handled the entire process without the involvement of the original oversight body. This change in procedure was not publicly communicated, leading to a lack of clarity on how these grants were vetted and approved.
“There was a general absence of transparency with the process during the extended period,” the report noted, adding that the Audit Office had requested but did not receive a complete list of the applications submitted during that time. It was pointed out that the Ministry instead provided hard copies of applications it had processed. “These did not appear complete as there were other MSME grant payments through the Treasury system that could not be found in the batches of applications received,” the report added.
Friends and family
The audit further revealed that the extended grant period saw a disproportionate number of awards issued to individuals connected to the Premier’s Office, including both contracted and established staff and their family members. This raised questions about fairness and whether the grants were distributed equally among the businesses that needed the most funds.
While the programme’s initial phase helped over a thousand small businesses navigate the financial challenges posed by the pandemic, the audit suggests that many additional grants issued during the extended period may not have reached the intended beneficiaries. “The process also allowed for a number of non-qualifying entities to receive funds which undermined the programme’s effectiveness,” the report stated.
Meanwhile, Governor Daniel Pruce, in a recent press statement on the publication of the remaining Commission of Inquiry audits, stressed the importance of learning from these reports. He noted that “audits play a vital role in ensuring value for money and accountability in the use of public money.”
Moving forward, the government has taken steps to improve its financial oversight, including placing the management of assistance grants under the Social Development Department and introducing modern legislation to support better governance.
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HE IS IN THE WRONG JAIL
He is in the right jail. No preferential treatment at ALL.
and provide the list who received payment. Both parties need to be publicly listed and then prosecuted!
Will he be facing more criminal charges when/after he returns home?
It’s time to bring all that is in the darkness to LIGHT ,we have 3 wannabe holy gansters that needs a COI done on them , including the wigged one , who playing judge , jury & executioner on anyone who doesn’t humble themselves to him , yes sir , expose all those who have SKELETONS in their closets . THATS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN HAVE TRANSPARENCY HERE / TOO MUCH CORRUPTION ON THE HOLY LAND
A.F. really had some ill intentions for real almost all that money WENT TO PEOPLE WHO LITERALLY HAVE MONEY SOME HAVE WEALTH. Still got grant money smh
Same old same old. Approval, meh..
And here I am,an 84 year odaytryingvto stay alive by planting my food and have to look on as thelivestock of the drug members now in charge in D1trample my food and break my fence. Not one copper cent,ever thrown my way as I tremble in fear and the elected Repsay ’tis alright he helping the criminals by ignoring cause they young. Fact is,he is afraid of what secrets they might reveal a if they are made to do the right thing.
This situation is wrong and if the former Premier were still in office, this would be grounds for his removal. But let’s be clear: some are quick to lump his entire administration into a single narrative for actions that, by any objective measure, are his alone. He is the one accountable here, not those who served under him. What we’re seeing now is a conviction based on insinuation rather than on concrete evidence.
Where are the facts? How many of his administration were arrested or implicated in the drug conspiracy? None. It’s clear he knew his team had the moral clarity and ethical standards to not only refuse involvement but possibly even report him. He didn’t take that risk. The same principle applies here. We cannot allow individual actions to taint others by association. Accountability should be personal, rooted in facts—not in broad, baseless generalizations. Facts matter. Accountability matters. Let’s hold to that.
A man is known by the company he keeps.
I know alot of Pastors that ae crooked to the core so I guess all he people that go to their Churchs should be liable for their actions. And ALOT of BVIslanders go to church.
Highly unlikely the former premier cut, signed and distributed the cheques, so others must have been involved. Some may have fallen under the spell of a demagogue; others may have feared for their jobs. It’s a troubling and sad situation, which doesn’t appear to have changed much.
I didnt realize that the Cabinet members were the ones that cut and distributed cheques, all these action could be performed with regular Government employees.
They didn’t need cheques. Weren’t they handing out cash to their constituents, no checks and balances required? Lorna’s replacement was the most vociferous about no longer having money to dole out.
We need names. Are some of these illegal grant receivers still in government. ? I suspect they are.
Still rotten in the State of BVI.
Well, well, well! How ayo say Head Coach didn’t do it alone! Ministers (at that time) greatly benefited from this SHAM so much so that this helped re-elect the same SCAMMERS to which we have and unstable government l!
Sunshine and happy days! Hope Kartel stays alive and healthy for B&B. Send me some photos and videos My People!
To the governor stop holding Natalio Wheatley hands and do your job.
Well by my calculation $1.7 million less $384k is just over $1.3 million. Are those people going to asked for the money back? Also who actually paid the monies out – if not Fahie himself who prepared the payments and who signed the checks or transfers? Someone in his office must have known they not approved or gone over the budget?
If the contents of this report is indeed factual (which I suspect it is), then the culprits need to face the consequences, as this nothing short of criminal behaviour! All over the world, people used the pandemic as an opportunity to conduct major fraudulent activities to enrich themselves and their cronies.
Even in 2024, we continue to see countries make examples out of these people by charging and convicting them of this unfavourable conduct that happened about 3-4 years ago. Yet in the BVI, we have more than enough evidence to bring to justice, those who committed this blatant act of thievery, but all we do is talk about it with no action to follow. It’s as though we don’t have any brave souls amongst us who would stand up and say that enough is enough – leave the damn taxpayers monies alone!!
The BVI cannot be a real place!
The people in this country will continue to kick the can down the road because they are afraid to call out wrong
It will be some family member or members you will have to throw under the bus
The more things change the more they remain the same