Festival budget pegged at $1.6 million – Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley announced during a press briefing late last week that the budget for this year’s Emancipation Festival is approximately $1.6 million.
Dr Wheatley outlined the government’s commitment to fostering a vibrant celebration that honours the Virgin Islands’ rich cultural heritage while bolstering its economic framework.
“As we gather to mark the 70th anniversary of emancipation celebrations in the Virgin Islands, we are reminded of the profound significance of this occasion,” the Premier said.
The Premier underscored the festival’s dual role in both celebration and economic stimulation. “The festivities generate revenue for local businesses, create jobs, and stimulate economic activity, thereby contributing to the overall prosperity of our islands,” he said.
The festival’s spending follows another significant financial outlay—the recently held Music Fest, which some critics put at an estimated cost of $1 million after an initial $700,000 government subvention. The government’s expenditure on that event faced widespread criticism, exacerbated by low turnout.
Premier Wheatley addressed queries regarding the government’s overall financial management of such events, emphasised transparency, and promised a financial report at the end of the event.
He told reporters that his government is also considering grants to persons participating in activities like doing cultural floats and troupes.
The upcoming festival has already been affected by controversy with the resignation of BVI Tourist Board Events Manager Dirk Walters. Walters is also the Chair of the Virgin Islands Festival & Fairs Committee (VIFFC).
Premier Wheatley suggested that Walters’ resignation would not affect the Festival celebrations. “I did receive confirmation that Dirk Walters will be there throughout the duration of our current celebrations,” he related.
The festival will feature themed nights with performances by local and international artists. The highlight is a parade on August 5, which is expected to have over 25 entries and visiting royalty from the US Virgin Islands.
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waste of money, fix the roads, schools etc
IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY KILLING THIS COUNTRY….A ONE-MAN WRECKING CREW ALONG WITH A SUPPORTING CAST OF SLEEPERS
WITH MOST OF IT GOING TO OVERSEAS ARTISTS WHILE CARROT BAY, BREWERS BAY, SEA COWS BAY AND HIS OWN DISTRICT EAST END/LONG LOOK SUFFERS FROM LACK OF FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES
You forgot to mention cane garden bay
Still no report on the music fest at the pier park.
So is the Aug. Monday parade to celebrate the sentencing of the disgraced Premier?
£8.50 hour x eight hours = $68.00 per day x 5 days = $340.00 per week x 52 weeks = $17.680.00 a year.
$1.6 million divided by $17.680.00 = 90 years
So one man on minimum wage will need to work for ninety years to pay the Minister back.
Put another way $1.6 million pays for 90 people working a whole year on minimum wage to pay for five days festival in the BVI.
Brilliant. Another way to out it would be that a workman makes $ 120/day, so $1.7 million buys about 14,160 days worth of labor. Basically wages for 71 people for a year. Think what could be done with that. Private money paid about 150 people to clean up Virgin Gorda roads in 10 days up post Irma and Maria. This is equivalent to as 75 people in 20 days, which works out to about 10% of the budget of $ 1.7 million. I’ll also add that a $ 40 cover to get into the festival is pretty much day’s wages at min wage.
It’s to highlight how free you actually are and to show that you’re putting on a clown show.
PRIORITIES PRIORITIES PRIORITIES THIS MOMOO STILL DOESN’T GET IT! ALL ABOUT TRAVELING AND FETES! THEN SPREWING CRAP AND PHOTO OOPS!
HE IS A SPREEMIER NOT A PREMIER
70 years of freedom but yet what during these times are a reflection from what we were freed from…where are the history lesson folk tales, culture enhansments
VILLAGE ENTRANCE SHOULD BE FREE EVERY NIGHT. WHAT ARE WE CELEBRATING???
You all don’t have any freedom. You can’t even leave this island without a passport or you’ll be in jail. You are supposed to be enjoying freedom for free because your tax money paid for it already and you’re paying again Wow pure idiots you all are. I will not be paying a penny for carnival and it’s been this way for years. If everyone stop giving the government your money when they print money it will be a better place. Money is the root of all evil so why do you all need and want it so bad
All that money and we still got to pay 40 to go village on paying nights.. WOW!!!!
set of hypocrites that is hollering out ( HIKINBOTTOM’S COI WAS A ONE MAN SHOW ,BUT AINT MENTIONING THAT HE DELIVERED THE GOODS , ITS REALLY FUNNY HOW THE TRUTH HURTS , HERE WE ANOTHER COACH ON A RAMPAGE NEGLECTING THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY AND SQUANDERING OUR TAXPAYERS DOLLARS ON
WHATEVER HE FEELS LIKE and the rest of his subordinates are refuse to open their mouths / if this ain’t a OME MAN’S SHOW , THEN WHAT IS ? ? ?
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is saying )> the girl) so , here we are with our loving premier , can you say hello to our people and tell them how our country bis being run ? ( our MASTER ) this is not the time and place for that , as you see the place is heating up and we are getting ready to pArT- aYY
set of hypocrites that is hollering out ( HIKINBOTTOM’S COI WAS A ONE MAN SHOW ,BUT AINT MENTIONING THAT HE DELIVERED THE GOODS , ITS REALLY FUNNY HOW THE TRUTH HURTS , HERE WE ANOTHER COACH ON A RAMPAGE NEGLECTING THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY AND SQUANDERING OUR TAXPAYERS DOLLARS ON
WHATEVER HE FEELS LIKE and the rest of his subordinates are refuse to open their mouths / if this ain’t a ONE MAN’S SHOW , THEN WHAT IS ? ? ?
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Can we please get consistent running water. I choose running water over festival.
How much is the education scholarship for the children of the BVI? Imagine the amount of children that would have been helped with stipend and college fees. Want to build a nation, first educate them, both morally and ethically.
They wanted to keep festivals where women a scarcely clad with big splits and belly out outfits that them say fit fo queen. Next is those silly ones with their big butts and a bit of a piece of some barely covering their front, and a G string lost some where there.
. Define a Queen and nothing you see will be mentioned in that definition. I believe you all need to rethink what nation building is all about.I am not no king no body culture,but it was never so before, the respect, consideration and the inclusion is all gone.