Bad policies did more damage than COVID — Walwyn
Poor policies implemented by the former Andrew Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government during the COVID-19 lockdown period three years ago are being blamed for some of the economic woes that continue to affect the territory today.
That criticism came from Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn, who called on the current government to do more to beef up the tourism product in the territory.
Walwyn, while speaking in the House of Assembly recently, argued that although financial services is one of the BVI’s two main economic pillars, it is the country’s tourism industry that has the multiplier effect of jobs for residents.
“We have lost a substantial portion of our business during COVID,” Walwyn said. “A lot of it had to do with bad policies. I believe our policies, more than COVID itself, damaged the tourism product of this country.”
Reports emerged in early 2021 that charter companies had been sending their boats further afield to keep their businesses afloat after the territory’s borders had been closed for months. Locals complained at the time that the extended border closure and strict COVID-19 regulations were causing irreparable damage to the BVI’s reputation as the sailing capital of the world.
Fahie, in responding to criticisms that the US Virgin Islands (USVI), among other countries, had benefitted from the BVI’s tourism closure, said at the time that he felt the BVI will regain more business than it may have lost to its neighbour.
In the meantime, Walwyn urged the government to get very serious about getting more money involved in the tourism sector. He commended the formation of the BVI Yachting, Hotel & Tourism Association and said it should work along with the BVI Chamber of Commerce.
Walwyn argued that, while the government may put policies in place, it is the people on the ground that run tourism and not the government.
“It’s time for us to start to put grants together to help those organisations to function so that they can continue to bring the ideas forward for the government to implement so that we can get back to where we were before,” Walwyn added.
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AND GUESS WHO SECONDED THE FOOLISHNESS THAT TOOK PLACE?……..THE PRESENT PREMIER
BVI GONE BACKWARDS UNDER THE HANDS OF THE VIP
The VIP did a lot of @$$ishne$$
I was glad to vote against mr vaccine
Yep. And they still doing shyte. And they still filling their pockets as they said they would, while ignoring the suffering of others who held the system together during their tenure.
Meanwhile, retired teachers and others have been waiting twenty plus years and are still waiting to receive their EARNED AND OWED INCREMENTS.
Those people work hard and contributed selflessly ad tenaciously to the service and country. Still, after waiting for so many, many years, they still have not received what they have worked for.
And, there are people sitting behind desk who don’t want them to have it what they have earned either. Such is the evil that continue to confront good and decent people of. this trritory.
Nonetheless, it is hoped that weretired teachers will soon check our accounts and find our increments there. Then we can finally be able to buy a loaf of bread.
I just don’t understand how an individual who is charge and awaiting his day in court have the audacity to make such statements when it is he who contributed to putting most of those policies in place to benefit himself and his businesses? Here is another one of those where if it doesn’t benefits him it is bad for the territory.
A new regime took over and change a few and now it is a bad policy worst than COVID. You speak like a fart that’s unbearable.
Fix your court matter then talk to the people of being accountable in a transperent manner that will benefit them first and not yourself first and them after my guy.
Governor do your damn job!
CANTWIN MALONE AND ANDREW FRAUD MADE A MESS
This man is the n his way to jail for corruption over the wall now on here chatting horse p**s
Foy was praised for getting us through Covid
And I wonder who Wallwinner thinks should get those grants.
His failing businesses?
What the tourism industry needs is less government interference and better business conditions like treating tourists better, not ripping them off with taxes, easier labour recruitment, reliable power supply, and a pleasant environment to name a few
We do not need tax payers money being given to dead in the water enterprises that are never going to succeed. Especially when politicians own them.
Lock up Myron
We need to join the US NOW. The British are as incompetent in governance as the BVI, hence their constant change in leadership and Brexit fiasco. Yes, I said it: We need to join the US.
Quite frankly, when it comes to bad policy decisions, I rank the NDP on par with the VIP. Remember Dr. Smith when he was Premier kept saying how robust economy is, when we have been reeling for years. INCOMPETENCE!
We need to join the US, because the US actually has a good deal of oversight over its territories and states, unlike the UK which shirks its responsibilities.
US want mo problems?
Myron has to credibly to speak after being arrested and charge he needs to pay attention to his court proceedings
Remember his criminal matter is directly related to the abuse of government funds
The past is the past. Let’s only revisit it to learn from the mistakes. Instead of pointing out the obvious, bring in solutions, ways of addressing the unsolved problems. HOA members only point out problems but do not bring possible solutions to discuss. They love to hear themselves talk.
Leave Myron alone. He was trying to help people. He didn’t build no big house like the vip who went in for 3/4 of a term and already have big house on the hill. Everything was destroyed by the hurricane but the wall is still standing. If you want to talk about corruption, look at the VIP who was trained by the BIG BOSS. Natalio, cl**less. Deputy looking more fame. And the rest are all YES man.