Festival & Fairs Committee moving to Tourist Board
The government has moved to dissolve the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs (VIF&F) Committee and have its functions transferred to the BVI Tourist Board.
The decision was made at the government’s December 28 Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet’s most recent post-meeting statement indicated that the Festival & Fairs Committee, which was previously under the Ministry of Education and Culture, is responsible for the preparation, conduct and management of annual festivals and other entertainment activities.
The government said the principal legislation that governs the committee would have to be repealed and noted that an amendment to Section 8 of the Tourist Board Ordinance was also required.
The meeting statement also noted that a decision was made to have the remaining assets in the VI Festival and Fairs Fund be transferred to the BVI Tourist Board.
It was further noted that under the current law, the members of the committee shall be paid stipends based on a rate of Chairman $1000 per month; Deputy Chairman $800 per month and Members $500 per month, covering the period April 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023.
Last year, it was announced that the BVI spent just under $2 million in executing the Emancipation festivities — a feat that was celebrated by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley and described as a tremendous accomplishment, especially when compared with what transpired in previous years.
The move to transfer the committee’s functions also comes in the wake of criminal charges of theft late last year against one of the committee members.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Why not just abandon our very poor festival. People vote with their feet, and unlike other Caribbean nations, it is more expensive to get off island than to come to the island for festival week.
NOW IT DONE!
Wow
I am a bit confused. Was there amendments to the legislation to allow this? How do you determine “membership” of the committee? Is this payment for executive board members, or does it also extend to persons who “volunteered” on the various sub-committees?
How is the Virgin Gorda festival committee factored into this arrangement??
I swear we don’t learn anything in this place.
Another question were the “committee members” actively engaged in work on a consistent basis for the period in which they will be paid advancing arrangements and activities pertaining to Festival?
Remember that tief don’t like to see another tief carrying a LONG bag…..
Make the village free to get in like the USVI.
Organizing large event is a skill. Lots 9f these Island clubs got real skillful organizers who have be doing it all their lives. I can recall the Earth quake in Haiti in 2010.it was those Clubs the Late RT Oneal reach out to and put a committee together chaired by The late Hon Carvin Malone who organized and raised thousands and thousands of Dollars for Haiti and not one member never get a dime they never asked for any, Not even a good Job card..Ir was out of love and service..
Those were the days when darknesd was driven out by light and love was stronger than hate
Today we have more churches than supermarkets and we are plunging more abd more in darkness
The country is more divided than ever
Indigenous blaming foreigners
Expatriates blaming indigenous
Belongers blaming BVIslanders
Black man blaming white man
Locals blaming Caribben belongers
Locals blaming Philippinors s
Even the church is filled with the same mentality
Now that the economy getting bad we are turning each other
It is a shame were our beautiful country is heading
MY SWEET JESUS SEND TEN THOUSAND ANGELS TO HELP US HERE IN THE BVI HOW DID WE GET YO THIS POINT.
Pray and Fast My People, I need your Help!!!
Can’t get this Thing Figure out no matter how hard I try. I don’t understand why the Senegal Man still haunting WE. He already got the Drew and Lady “P”
paid off the balance But still WE are not FREE!!!
Help My People! Help My People!! I am lost for Words. I might have to give that Dynamic Preacher from Jamaica Her Belongers status so she can reside
in These Beautiful Virgin Islands permanently.
I have already spoken with my Cabinet to make this happen. Again, Pray and Fast My People. I need ALL
Hands on Deck!!!
While I understand the move, My Question is: Who will be accountable to whom as the Key staff of the Festival & Fairs Committee are moving to the Tourist Board also? Do they need help with Auditing their Books so they can give an account of Money or do they need the Auditor General to assist?
I am wondering why Govt didn’t send out application and seek the best organized talent we have. Its obvious what we are doing is about self gained and self fame not proper organizing..Easter Festival nothing, no PR, no marketing, Tortola the same thing…All Other caribbean country already on the ground running even for SK and Monsterrat that’s all the way in December..
At the beginning of the year, the USVI emailed out to all and sundry a schedule showing some of their planned activities for this year …
Did cabinet approve this really? So the staff of culture now report to the Director of tourism? But he done can’t manage he current portfolios so how he will manage this? USVI took years to get their own under their tourism. But we take a day to dissolve a legal constituted committee? Who in tourism could handle such a task?
Here they go copying USVI again. I am so disappointed with the deteriorating quality of life here in the BVI. I passed by the new ghetto, formerly known as the Market knowing full well that our forefathers and mothers are turning over in their graves. So sad!
Is this the same entity that took over the BVI Music Fest?