Fahie: Workers suffer as gov’t rejects free West End facility
Customs and Immigration officers under tents and bad weather at the West End Ferry Dock. (Photo provided by Andrew Fahie)
While sharing a photograph of Customs and Immigration Officers operating from a tent in rough weather conditions at the West End Ferry Dock, Opposition Leader Andrew Fahie has reprimanded government for negligence.
Law enforcers at the West End port have been housed under a single tent since Hurricane Irma destroyed the ferry terminal last September, and Fahie said government has ‘no excuse’ for allowing that arrangement to continue for this long.
He said the Premier Smith-led government has ignored all his efforts to help address the problem; adding that government has not provided any immediate solutions of its own.
“In December 2017… I expressed to them the urgency to have this problem rectified even if temporary measures are used. I further gave them a solution of an entity that wished to donate a fully retrofitted trailer to accommodate Customs and Immigrations as well as the flow of traffic of travellers from the ferries, and other means,” Fahie said in a media release Sunday evening.
He continued: “I gave them the person’s name and number. I informed them that, at that time, the trailer was available. I also informed them that the trailer was being donated free of cost to the Government of the Virgin Islands. The only cost to government would have been the shipping,” added Fahie, who said the structure would have taken nine working days to arrive in the territory.
A second solution
The Opposition Leader said he returned to government with another proposal recently. But, he was again ignored, Fahie said.
He did not give specifics on the second proposal he reportedly presented.
“There is absolutely no excuse for Her Majesty’s Customs Officers to still be in such deplorable working conditions under a 10×10 tent when rain comes or when the sun shines,” said Fahie, who further commended the public servants at the West End port for their resilience.
But, the Opposition Leader said those Customs and Immigration Officers are not the only the persons being affected.
“The taxi men, car rental companies, and other businesses that make their living from a functioning West End port facility [also] suffer significantly,” he said.
“This situation did not need money to get this port facility up and running in a more conducive manner for all stakeholders. It just took care and concern for the well being of others to have been the driving force to ensure that better was done from months ago.”
Government promises
Just last month, Works Minister Mark Vanterpool said government would erect a semi-permanent structure at the West End Port by late-April or early-May.
That was the second promise from the minister in relation to a suitable structure arriving at the port.
The minister first promised to erect a temporary structure in December.
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If them doing this to spite foy?
Yet we spent $7M on BVI airways and our minister’s want to spend another $300m on a runway extension to allow private jets to land.
Is this fair?
Don’t forget the $7M+ Fake Beach!
We’re a 4th world country now
Fahie why bother this Government dose not care about anyone or doing the right thing for the Virgin Islands.
does vs dose.
St. John and red hook are closed to international travel and we all travel to Charlotte Amalie, through very rough seas, without fuss. The building at west end was completely destroyed like the one in St. John. The west end port should be closed until they could build a Proper building which a cat 2 hurricane will not destroy.
Blame the port board not government. They thought they had appointed the right people to deal with such issues.
Board needs to go.
Where there is no vision the people will always perish!
Shameful all-round debacle.
If it was raining any harder in that photo we could say “where there is no vision those people might well drown.”
Strupes. Give the people some proper shelter so they could do their job.
Yeah, in the meanwhile Minister Air Miles jetting off First Class left and right.
What message does this send to the visitors to the islands about the governments capacity for resolving all the issues that Hurricane Irma has brought. Do we need the UK to step in as our government is unable to deal with even basic repairs.
You are right because that port should have been closed to international travel
well sah!
Wow!!!
Mind boggling! Fahie said free except for shipping, which is no bog money, and still they didn’t take the offer. Something is terribly wrong here and still making the workers suffer until they decide to build something. Mind boggling! ????????
Well that’s Fahie and his one sided drama. This is the guy who did not m—- and r- the —- police station in his district for donkey years with allotted money, …. What he does with district funds is a complete ——.
This under the tent situation, which was obviously staged appears to be tragic but only God of the Universe knows why when and why Fahie is the way he is….
Who would stage being under a tent when rain falls? What about the children who attend school on the Cappoons Bay Field when it rains? Is that being staged too? Get real!
My poor child had the cold just 2 to 3 weeks ago and she has the cold again. Everytime I go to that school when it is raining to collect my child, I lose a pair of shoes. Who do I go to to make a claim?
Staged? Come down west any day unannounced and see for yourself. You all always trying to put up for this dysfunctional NDP government.
Once there is nothing in it for them then they do nothing.
This should fall under the Governor/Deputy Governor’s portfolio to have the staff properly housed in a safe environment…it’s not just a ports/premier thing because the Governor is responsible for the public service. A safe working environment must be on the Goverment’s immediate agenda for ALL public/civil servants.
The issue is not Fahie, and what he has or has not done in the past. It’s the present. And it’s not just the Customs and Immigration workers, either! How about the guests who try to enter this way, either by private or charter boat, or ferry? These folks are our lifeblood. What about our image? Pretty soon photos like this will no longer be our tawdry Little Secrets, but online disasters for those who might consider visiting us.
This government has designated $100,000 (yes, one hundred thousand dollars!) out of the 703 million dollar Recovery Plan to the Marine Sector, to which the same Recovery Plan ascribes 25% of our jobs. Not much surprise, I suppose, since they generally look at the Marine Sector as something from which to take, rather than something to support. But shamefully uninformed, nonetheless.
What on earth is that $100,000 for? Here’s an idea: Four trailers and a dinghy dock for West End, so that not only Customs and Immigration are confortable, but also their clients, our guests, and ferry passengers.
While waiting for a permanent domicile for workers, Andrew could have had, erected a semi permanent structure for pennies or less, Plenty galvanizemlumber and cement blocks littering his district, Manpower of able-bodied men women and the hangers on…District 1 needs a rep with the ability to work cohesively with whatever Gov in power and since NDP will continue after the next election D1 should seriously find a rep who can rep instead of one whose mission is to n—- the district while t—-g down the country and Gov,
—- set up the phony exaggerated scene in another effort to denounce the country and — Government. … The F owes a debt to the new world order.
You need to visit West End on a rainy day. Go to this site and also the tent city for a school and see first hand what people are experiencing. Those dam people in government just don’t care.
There’s no millions in this ports project so it was ignored.
WE ALL NEED TO MARCH ON THIS GOVERNMENT AND THE WORKERS UNDER THE TENT NEED TO STRIKE ALSO
LOL…. If they ain’t getting wet under that tent, that’s a good tent….
I know young strong people in the district living in house which it with gov money build for them. Ask them to give back…knock up some wooden structure until Gov get there. Teach the parasites in your district to give other things than votes.
Why don’t you come down to the 1st district on a Saturday morning and call us parasites to our faces; we’re easy to find- we’re STILL out on the road, cleaning, helping our neighbors and working any time we can to make things better.
—- ———- needs to step down as he has done absolutely nothing for the BVI since Irma………..he is the reason why the roads are still in a deplorable state, why Disney and Norwegian will not return until next year, –told us months ago that this container for Customs/Immigration was on its way.
Resign —- as you lack all the skills that are necessary for a minister of ———-.
Who continues to be under a tent during a downpour when they could sit in their nearby car or a house porch….Strange. Unless they are mannequins or pretending for a show…
You also need to visit West End when it rains. Go down to the tent school and ask the principal the same question “Who continues to be under a tent during a downpour when they could sit in their nearby car or a house porch”
All these fa
dders and mudders uncles cousins. Galvanize and lumber all over the place and in the landfill. But their children still under leaky tent waiting for Guvment…shameful set of =$#@$ At least band together and construct waterproof structure until Gov builds a more permanent one.
POOR example for your children and they smarter than u think. They would wonder and resent you for not putting a decent roof for them because they know u can.
Andrew in all fairness need to come clean with your people. Some are not able or willing to face ypur reality. A reality that is geared toward p— using their b—.wont work though. The universe wont allow it. You know the other side of this saga but want them to believe and trust you. No s—– in your game and no c——.
Stop chat piddle because you hate the truth and because you hate Fahie. This is not about Fahie but about your lame duck unethical NDP government. We thank Fahie for standing up for what is right.
But the prison gets a million dollars and 12 new Scot Prison workers! Sickening.
Not one Government MINISTER or politician will work in those conditions.
Every employer should provide and every employee should expect a safe, secure, healthful and quality working environment. True, the permanent facilities at the West End port of entry were destroyed in September 2017 by 2 catastrophic, Cat 5 hurricanes (Irma and Maria). But employees working under a tent some 7 months later deflates their morale and reduces productivity, as well as tarnishes the national image.
Further, it creates less than a positive image for both residents and visitors. It creates a wow expression for visitors but not for the desired reason. Visitors should have a positive experience while visiting the BVI, returning home telling their familiy, friends, co-workers, congregation members, social club(s) members …….etc that the BVI is a must see destination. Does a tent provides that WOW factor? What can be done?
Since the port is open for business and will probably stay open for business during the reconstruction, a modular building(s) (pre-manufactured, trailer) should/could have been procured and installed to temporarily housed Customs, Immigration, Security, Ferry Agents……..etc. Further, a temporary and more aesthetically pleasing wooden structure could have been constructed to housed these services.
Moreover, the VI lies in the hurricane zone so it is not if it will get hit again by a hurricane but when. As such, public facilities should be designed and constructed to withstand at least a Cat 3 hurricane. Some public facilities should be operated to provide routine services during steady state conditions and use as rideout shelters during hurricanes. Rideout shelters should be structurally sound.
And what about that rich person who wanted to rebuild the school and Government turned them away – they would only agree if the money would come to them for them to rebuild instead of the person organizing the construction and paying direct?
They was trying to get the money from Kenny Chesney because the money that the queen send is in the hands of the Governor and them can’t get them hands pon it.