BVI economy will collapse without expat labour — Opposition Leader
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has suggested that the BVI‘s economy will collapse in the absence of expatriate labour.
Penn made that statement amid a push from government to decrease the territory’s working expat population.
“The reality is that … based on the BVI‘s economy and the size of the BVI‘s economy, if we have full employment of all BVIslanders and we sent out all the persons that come to the BVI and work, the economy will collapse,” Penn stated this week during the budget debate for the upcoming fiscal year.
According to Penn, even though some focus should be placed on transitioning locals in as much areas as possible, that still does not negate the need for external labour to be provided.
Penn argued that businesses in the BVI in particular, require a level of imported skilled labour to be able to function.
As a result of this, he said business owners who have certain specialty areas and need certain skilled labourers require the government to be facilitatory in its actions.
Policies creating hardship
But Penn said the Labour Department has now created additional hardship for persons and businesses to operate in the territory.
While arguing that it takes in excess of three months to process work permit renewals, he questioned how much time it would take for new permits to be processed.
“A business that has been down for 16 to 18 months, trying to get themselves back up on their feet, have to now struggle under the burden of the policy of this administration to get themselves moving,” he stated.
Penn further criticised Labour Minister, Vincent Wheatley, for making comments about ‘flushing out’ certain non-locals in the British Virgin Islands.
But Minister Wheatley, who stated at the time that a task force was being set up for this, was clearly making reference to persons who are living and working illegally in the territory.
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one could tell dat he have a island woman
STFU, you dont even know your own I born here people.
You are not a local otherwise you would have known and even if you know the truth you are obviously trying to cause division.
You a darn idiot. His wife from here.
Who looking out foh we ?????
Is look him looking out for you and other locals why he say that. Just look at who renting all dem apartments belonging to locals.
Do we have enough local doctors?
Do we have enough local teachers? Do we have enough local nurses?
Do we have enough local lawyers?
Do we have enough local construction men?
Honorable Penn is a man who know what the truth is and is not afraid to admit it.
Marlon stop talking p**s. This is one of many times I have to say that as a politician you are really talking out of your behind. Expat labour is not going anyplace but local labor needs priority and illegal labor must be stop. When you generalize with your expat BS makes it seems like the Government out to get every expat and send them out. Be clear with your statement although we know there are of no good intentions. Only to stir up propaganda.
Forget politics and politricks, This man is talking sense. Only those with vision will see how critical a balance is needed. I agree with Marlon 100%. I said this from the jet go. The entire thing was disrupted all at once without examining the long term repercussions. A people without vision will perish.
When your work force is 70% expatriates, of course it will collapse without them
no one to rent your overpriced apartments, to dig your trenches, care for your children, stock your shelves, cause we here think we to big and nuff for that.
only fools abuse the ones paying they bills and building they houses.
All people thinking of is apt rent and food prices no one is thinking about the contributions to social security NHI and taxes. The local popularity is not enough to sustain those social benefits. Vincent needs to remember that the expat population contributes to the social services and such is needed for sustainability.
He is right cause most of the local families and youths already got that dope money. They not doing no type of low wage labour.
Precisely.
lol DON’T HATE I love it when the Europeans arrive and see these extra dark faces coming out these huge homes and expensive cars. That cuts them deep!
Economy is already in a free fall and state of collapse. The anti expat movement exacerbated by the racist belonger and this government has driven the expat worker from our shores. And now we all suffer for it.
Labor, customer service, and hospitality all suffer as we attempt to reclaim our tourism product. The tourist will see this, express their displeasure, and never return. Even worse, they will tell others and the avalanche continues.
How embarrassing
FINALLY! somebody with sense! I swear I’ve been wondering who is running this country! Its like a black version of the KKK with all the hate rhetoric!
The sad thing is, it’s too late for the BVI to recover. Racism, caste system (belongership), and a rampant drug run government drives investors and expats away.
Agree 100%. That new Investment legislation will prevent any future investment in the country. Why would any foreigner invest if his assets can be stolen….
It is disgusting to see this minister talking about Caribbean people. FLUSH OUT THE EXPATS”. Just a little about the word flush you will understand what he really meant. God be with you sir.
God left the BVI long ago.
Of course it is necessary to import labour. However, it is imperative that Government looks at it carefully because some people want CHEAP labour and will go to the ends of the earth to find such. All of a sudden a number of Asians are packing supper market shelves. These are shelves that were being kept fully stocked in the past, but everyone who comes to the BVI, has a friend or relative who wants to come.
If Government does not look at the long term, the social security will also collapse.
I visited Bermuda a few years ago and was told that they had 1200 work permits, while little BVI had 12,000. Does that make sense in a population of approximately 30,000.
Sorry but Hon Wheatley is on the right track, because Government will have to take care of the “entitled” if they are not given the opportunity to learn how to fish for themselves.
The Bermuda comparison is wrong. They’ve invested in education for years and know what hard work is. The general quality of BVI HS students is terrible, and many “graduates” prefer to rely upon drug money, rent and corruption.
He is correct and it’s not just about them showing up for a job. These same people support the other businesses. ALL businesses right now are feeling the effects of the expat exodus from since Irma and then COVID. You can be patriotic and still tell the truth, that’s the problem here because most people think in order to be patriotic you always have to sound the born here horn. The irony is that the locals suffer the most from these stupid policies. Nothing is wrong with wanting more opportunities for locals but it doesn’t fall out the sky. We need to ramp up the courses at the college, technical school, high schools etc. This is something that will take 10-15 years to bear fruit and talk will not make it happen. Additionally, many locals have dual citizenship so would opt to attend school in the US and stay over there because of the opportunities available. A proper study needs to be conducted with respect to the labour needs of the Territory instead of having persons who are totally clueless about labour and business calling the shots. How are we making these decisions with no data to back it up? Just emotions and politics then we wonder why the Territory is behind.
So to say this in the spirit of the Holidays but you sound as dumb as Minister Wh3@+1ey! He is a power hungry *** 1st term & hopefully 1 term id**t! That is the same reason he allegedly wants to give papers to Rapist because if empathy but cannot extend the same empathy to hard working & honest persons just because they not from here? For that reason he is cursed … God sees all! De**l worshipers!
Which college did he go to! HD cannot even form a good sentence. All his life *** but jow he is a so called minister! Well if the 45th could be president, anything is possible!BVI not a real place mehson!
Your labour laws need to be brought in line with ILO standards in the first place. The BVI is closest one can come to legal modern day slavery. The draconian tax on remittances that target the Lowe classes is immoral and unethical if not downright unchristian. Most expats can have a US account and drawdown money while overseas. BVIslanders who occupy the top of the education ladder will hardly come back here. To begin with they have ovtained in the most instances US citizenship by birthright and will emigrate to find more lucrative employment on the continent. Furthermore BVIslanders in to positions will not allow themselves to undergo the exploitation that coukd be meted out to expats who are at the mercy of an inefficient and outdated immigration policy.
Every place I ever lived or worked, and there have been many, there has been a requirement, a necessity if you will, for ex-pat/immigrant labour. No country, no matter how large can provide all the skills and resources that it needs to grow and thrive. No country has all the labourers or brain surgeons that they could possibly need and as a result you bring in outside resources to your mutual benefit…
A word of wisdom for the Mr.minister of labour. God places you there to fulfill his purpose not your ego. Don’t be rude to people. Be humble. Please read Genesis 3:19 “For dust you are and unto dust you shall return . Stop using this negative concept ” Flush the expats”. BE HUMBLE. POWER IS TEMPORARY.
That is because his ego & briefcase is the biggest thing that loser has going….Time will tell
expats works better and morre professionals . sorry local you all need to develope and improve a lot!! so i prefer exp…… for ever
Yes, flush them out. They all need flushing out. The jobs will be filled, watch and you will see.
Yes we are leaving, we are being flushed out, we are being hurt but I guess once you not born here you not human, so we are leaving and you sit right there and look at the next couple of months, look from January, when more of us are gone, looks what happens when you treat people like no body, sit on you golden chair and look. Plus I pray that this island go independent, enjoy your beautiful island
Go and do your Maths . It is time that BVI realized we all need each other .This country is no longer homogeneous it is multicultural Difficult to accept but the workforce will collapse
And there is the racist belonger
If a 1000 expats have to get a BVI Visa which cost $175, that’s $175,000 into the BVI treasury. 1000 locals will pay $0 because they don’t need a BVI Visa. So expats contribute A LOT more than locals think. Add work permit fees and exemption fees to that as well. So cut back on expat labour if ayo want and see what happens
And locals don’t pay taxes. All under the table
What is not being realized is that locals all want respect. They do not want to work and get paid for not doing the work. They do not want to be disciplined and above all told what to do or how to do it. Respect goes both ways…when they decide to leave a job most do not even give notice they just don’t show up and they think that they are all professionals.
Good luck with just using your labour force; you will see how fast it takes to bring your country down.
This minister has dream up and come up with the most draconian policies to ever hit the BVI labour market. He is bent on stifling the business community and really think he making things good. While all he is doing is killing our businesses.
Of course. Common sense!
Economist has stated it needs 35-40 thousand people in the BVI to make it sustainable especially during COVID
Marlon has business sense !! That man is a fool “ flush the out “
How would commerce grow?
Who woukd sustain Social Security and NHI
Who’is keeping the local business going ?
Locals prefer to shop online and go to St Thomas !!!
Are they they keeping the economy alive ?
Unless we learn to exists together for the good of the country it will collapse and this has nothing to do with politics . It is hard to shallow but it is true , face reality my
People
My family is 4 generations beginning with expats, in my generation I have family who was born here, and also born in 7 different countries but live here, but we all decided to leave for the US in January, so be it local or expat it don’t matter, this island is all together not doing well for no one, it’s all a greed thing going on, SO WHATEVER
Here don’t have nothing for expats anyway, you can’t even invest into anything because you not from here, so what’s the point in staying, you don’t have to flush no body sir we going anyways
Expats ain’t going no place. When 1 leaves 4 comes. That’s a fact.
Nope, you’re wrong.
Expat population is down significantly since Covid. Our tourism product is suffering
We have to coexist together for the moving forward of the economy or like Martin Luther says, we perish like fools . Time to stop the division for the good of the country . The 9 th District statement will come back to haunt him
And destroy the economy . Beware !! Beware !