Farmers need market square back! Gov’t criticised for inaction
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has criticised the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration for what he described as its lack of action regarding the reconstruction of the proposed market square development and the overall treatment of farmers and fisherfolk in the territory.
Speaking on the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) Radio last evening, Penn said the government tore down the previous market square and promised farmers a new one. However, that is yet to come to fruition.
He said he is hopeful that highlighting this would mobilise the government as it is the farmers who are suffering.
Penn noted the displacement of farmers because he predicts that the extended absence of market infrastructure or a reliable water source will have a damaging impact on agriculture in the territory.
Paquita Bay Farmers still need assistance
He added that the government previously highlighted that it delivered water to Paraquita Bay but Penn said farmers are still without the necessities to get things going.
The Opposition Leader also touched on the issue of food insecurity that has been affecting the territory since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and is expected to be exacerbated by the ongoing war in Europe.
“We talk about the war, and it is going to have a ripple effect on us here in the Virgin Islands because the issue of food security is going to come full circle on us now. The issue of ensuring that we can maintain ourselves as much as we can is going to come full circle because the reality is that BVI imports more than 95 per cent of the goods that it needs to survive,” Penn said.
COVID grant to farmers, fishers not an investment
Referring to the $6 million invested in the agriculture and fisheries sector during the heights of the pandemic, Penn said people are using the term ‘invested’ loosely.
“’Invested’ means that you would invest in infrastructure, invested in making sure you have a plan and a process to ensure you get the necessary food security mechanism in place for our people. That wasn’t done,” the Opposition Leader argued.
“What we saw was monies given out to cronies and persons who are close to the administration who don’t even fish or farm. Now you are talking about the infrastructure that is necessary, now that we have seen the potential for inflation, the potential for scarcity in food security, when we should have used that money for infrastructure, used that money to build legitimate fishers and farmers,” the NDP Leader added.
Penn also noted the budget does not have a lot of money available for farming. He said that is why Minister of Works Kye Rymer used COVID as the reason the market square project cannot move forward.
“There is no money in place to move it forward. We have no money in place to address the issue of the fishermen in our territory because there are only $50,000 budgeted in capital expenditure to address the fishing in the territory. We don’t have a fishing complex, it was destroyed and bulldozed,” he said.
Lavity Stoutt wouldn’t recognise this VIP
Penn said there are no clear plans or vision to move the complex forward. He also criticised the timing of the Food Security and Sustainability Bill being brought before the House of Assembly.
“We are now seeing wherein the fourth year of this administration term, they are now talking about moving the bill, the Fishing and Farming Act Food Security Bill to the House of Assembly, four years in,” the NDP Leader said.
“I think the late Honourable H Lavity Stoutt if he saw this VIP, he wouldn’t recognise it. This is not Lavity’s VIP. It is visionless and clearly has no priorities, clearly no focus on moving forward. The key elements that we need to secure our people, food security and ensure that we prioritise projects that make our economy move again, we are not seeing it with this administration,” Penn added.
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But there was a ceremony and everything! ??? More hot air to go with the rest.
https://bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/remarks-honourable-kye-rymer-ground-breaking-ceremony-market-square-rebuilding
Wasn’t there 2 groundbreaking ceremonies on the market site?
The wild tamrind took over this site and the site for the high school
The 6 million dollars used to pay the COI lawyers could’ve done finished both the new market and high school.
Election must be dawning upon us. This is the season to shed light on who did what and who isn’t doing .
Why didn’t they do it when they were in office
It was a functioning space they tore it down and had a big ceremony and allowed the wild tamarind to take over the place. If they had no intention of fixing it why destroy and displace the farmers? Stop defending nonsense, this government has to account for their record.
The place looks like a dump at least pave it so it isn’t an eyesore
We all know that they have no money to build anything there but if they gave a single f**k about people they could at least get PWD to cut the bush and level off the area so people can park properly in there. Absolutely disgusting and right in the heart of Road Town.
The space was already levelled and is being used for parking. Now the people parking there won’t want to move to the Festival Grounds when the space is finally developed.
Cut and level it again because it was not done right then. Unbelievable
Can we have the sidewalk back please?
Why they rush to break it down to not have money to rebuild it?…sigh #BviLove
The VIP killed farming by tearing down both the fruit/vegetable and fisheries market buildings with no rebuilding dates in sight
Its all very well but I seem to remember that for years when it was there the stalls were OUTSIDE the market building, virtually on the street. Was it because stall rents were too high?
Farmer’s market and fisheries building destroyed because certain politically connected business men own and operate supermarkets that sell the same products at higher prices. Simple elimination of the competition.
They can’t get water paraquita bay & they will get market square backkkk???????
Set ah waah waah in the place. People want government to do every thing for them. Let me get in an your gonna see a joke.
A market in the middle of the town, people please. Move it to another location and make parking with that little space.
Was it to accommodate ten vendors or only chicken vendors. I never saw the design. Can someone post the design if you have access to it.