BVI must see foreign investors as ‘friends’ — Dr Pickering
Former Deputy Premier Dr Kedrick Pickering has encouraged residents to embrace the concept of foreign investors and suggested this is a much-needed factor for the territory to move forward.
According to Dr Pickering, how the BVI enhances and leverages its public-private partnerships will ultimately determine its future.
“Nobody can take over the environment from us, nobody can take this country from us, but we must be willing to work along with others to help do the things that we are not necessarily capable of doing,” Dr Pickering said at a political meeting held in North Sound in Virgin Gorda.
Dr Pickering said the territory can continue to build on the environment it has, and a hospitality industry that will continue to be the envy of the Caribbean.
The former legislator explained that plans were afoot to implement a hyperbaric chamber when he was in government previously, but said for some reason this was never done.
He also pointed to plans for the introduction of a youth centre in Virgin Gorda and said he knows persons who are willing to assist with this project but said residents need to work with them.
“We must not see persons who have come to live amongst us and invest amongst us as enemies. We must see them as friends who have come, and we must build relationships that enhance what they want to do, [and] enhance what we want to do,” Dr Pickering said.
The former legislator has been accused in the past of allegedly being cosy with ‘rich friends’ to the detriment of his constituents but says despite what naysayers have expressed, he firmly believes that his experience in elected office for two decades makes him qualified to offer his expertise at a time such as this.
“Don’t think that the criticisms, I don’t hear them and [I] don’t pay attention, but they don’t deter me because what I feel in my bones is far beyond that,” the former legislator said.
Dr Pickering’s campaign for re-election has been themed as a ‘reset’ and he has focused much of his rhetoric around advocating for the prevention of a suspension of the territory’s constitution and the United Kingdom taking over the full reins of governance through direct rule.
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And for every project those foreign investors manage to illegally get pass the red tape. … how much do do you get or pocket. Everyday this dude hanging himself. Please do not put this man in power. He is not for the people (as we can clearly see with the way he handled his district) . Pickering have an agenda and that is to fatten up his pockets once again.
I wont call him a sell-out but i will call him an @$$!ick@
Making way for his rich, white friends again. And how must we see local investors because you did not help any of them when you had power. Now you are back to continue to help Branson, Johnson and which other rich, white friends you have since picked up along the way. Don’t worry we are not jealous of you and then as you said to us in Long Look.
Someone like Dr. Pickering is one of the biggest threat to the security of the BVI. He seems to be razzle dazzled by white people who have lots of money. He even convinces himself that they are his actual friends so he would move heaven and earth for them. All the while neglecting the very people who voted for him to get in to government. BVI this is not what we need right now.
Undoubtedly, the BVI is a small, resource-poor locale which depends on foreign direct investment for growth and development. But investors being friends? Partners may be. A contractual arrangement for sure with each side negotiating its best interest. Each side promoting its strengths and advantages. The investors seeking as high as possible return on investment; BVI, goods, services, etc. Investors have minimum return on investments and any investment project must at least meet at least that minimum return. It is about the money. Show me the money. The rule of law, ease of setting up business, safety, environment, quality of life, standard of living, human development index, etc, are attractive qualities but if investors cannot scale the minimum return on investment hurdle rate, they are likely elsewhere for investment project(s). Of course, we cannot behave like boar hogs but friends? It should viewed as contractual business arrangement.
He is keen on empowering rich outside investors only it seems
That headline is exactly the reason why we cannot go back to putting Dr. Pickering in government.
Another version of his statement about his rich, white friends. This man is not for the local people. He has never been. I wonder if he went oil nut bay after his meeting in North Sound last night?
welcome back dr pickering
?
The local investors/entrepreneurs? Where are they? So many opportunities out there just wasting away since the hurricane. It’s obvious the “local” talent lacking, someone has to move the country forward, may as well be the foreign investors.
To Air Out His Mouth, so let the mouth champ HoLLer , he loves to hear himself / his cracked record has already spoken for him , it’s just that he doesn’t know it yet . ( where you at bro ???! ?
@ Mustang
Well Said!!!!!
Let the investors come….Ownership = 51% foreign shares vs 49% local shares
Like it or not, the man is right! The BVI was built on foreign investment along with some local investment. The BVI is a service economy and does not manufacture anything, wealth doesn’t form from thin air. If locals aspire to build businesses from construction, to trucking, to taxis, to villas etc. they need heavy investments to make the wheels spin. We should not lay down and give investors everything they want just because they have money but at the same time we need to understand nobody will invest for nothing, they have to get returns on their monies. The keyword is BALANCE!!!! Tortola in particular need at least 3 proper properties in order to boost our tourism offerings. We should be able to accommodate seminars, conferences, major meetings etc. whether it’s for sports, churches, financial services etc. We continue to lose out on so much because we cannot accommodate volume. Let us get some proper investments going and build the place up as it should be. Look at Virgin Gorda? Do you see VG people lining up in Tortola looking for work? NO! They are self-sustaining for the most part and that is because of the heavy private investment over there and locals have been able to take advantage of the spin-off opportunities. It’s time we stop letting a loud few who want to remain as victims and move this Territory forward.
No one person can take the country and no one person can take our lands and our environment. But a systematic and policy driven agenda to clear the way for foreign investment, without protecting present and future indigenous people absolutely can lead to us losing our country! We won’t lose it in a 4 year term but 12 years later when locals can’t afford land, or are relegated to being lower level employees for foreign investors, or locals don’t have a seat at the table, only then will we realize the damage that was done in one 4 year term, where your rich friends took advantage of your policies and planted roots that lead to the disenfranchisement of local people.
They play the long game while we focus on short term and short sighted plans.
Bring back our ability to eat shark as we have culturally for 100s of years! Admit to your lack of leadership in the aquaponics farms! Admit to disenfranchising Anegada people of their lands! Admit to perhaps losing sight of the needs of the local populace in favor of your rich friends. Then maybe we consider you. But you expect to just sweep your ineffeciencies under the rug like they didn’t happen. Up to now you haven’t accepted responsibility for anything specific that you did or did not do.
Fall on your sword first!
“rich white friends” I think was the term
If we are to be o the level of those big time lineup Caribbean land fill dregs washing up on every corner of the globe begging bread,killing,whoring and thiefing,then the foreign investors cannot be our friend and we also must become” independent”, independent and free of morality decency and pride to name a few and become parasitic entities on hosts,unwelcome and unwanted burdens.
If we are to be on the level of those big time lineup Caribbean land fill dregs washing up on every corner of the globe begging bread,killing,whoring and thiefing,then the foreign investors cannot be our friend and we also must become” independent”, independent and free of morality decency and pride to name a few and become parasitic entities on hosts,unwelcomed and unwanted burdens.
U are correct but we also putting ourself back in salvery mentally. If the same opportunity is given ti black folks they will do better. If just that everytime pickering talks he allegedly gets a cut off something. He got oil nut bay a share there but i wonder which island he lookin at next
I swear I would never vote for this dude again a day in my life… Nobody can tell me that foreign investors and outsiders isn’t paying this Guy to come up and speak this kind of Unpatriotic rhetoric to our people. This guy wouldn’t encourage our local people to go and do some thing with themself and help build our country. People like you shouldn’t be representing us .
That man should have finished medical school. He might have been able to speak with some intelligence. Why does an investor have to be rich and white to be embraced by him.
Does he want them to invest in silly projects like that road to the mangroves in fat hogs bay? Pickering should pay the people back for that wasteful road to nowhere.
Is saying )> NOW where was I ?
is saying ))> oh ooh, ah think ah put my foot in my mouth A gain
@ Facial expression
Bvi will always end up behind the 8th ball because of our backward way of thinking. Anguilla, Dominica, St. KITTS abd Nevis are way ahead of BVI because the leaders know that they need foreign investments and are investor friendly. You people who think you can live here by yourselves are sadly mistaken. Puckerinng might not be the best messenger, but he is right.