Former BVIPA workers behind cruise pier audit delay
Premier Dr D Orlando Smith
Former BVI Ports Authority employees with intimate knowledge of the cruise pier project are behind the delay of the audit being undertaken on the project, says Premier Dr D Orlando Smith.
He told the House of Assembly on Thursday auditors KPMG had submitted a ‘confidential draft’ of the report for management at the BVI Ports Authority to review and make comments.
Those comments were then to be forwarded to KPMG but Premier Smith said government has encountered some difficulties in completing the task.
“It is my understanding the comments on the report have been provided. However, some of the information requested and referred to in the report … will need to be corroborated with persons no longer connected with the BVI Ports Authority,” said Dr Smith, who is also Minister of Finance.
“However, I am assured that final comments will be sent to KPMG by the middle of next week,” he added.
This is not the first time the Premier reported challenges in providing information to the auditors. Roughly a year ago, Dr Smith told the House that KPMG was made to do without a ‘small’ bit of information it had requested. He then said other information the auditors had already received would have been sufficient to continue their investigation.
When will audit findings be made public?
With the Premier’s latest audit update on Thursday, there is no clear indication when the findings will be ready.
But, whenever the process concludes, Premier Smith said it will first be submitted to Cabinet, which will then “make a decision as to when the report will be made public”.
KPMG was contracted some two years ago to investigate the project after it ended up costing $82.9 million; reflecting a cost over-run of more than $30 million.
Dr Smith said no monies have been paid to KPMG for their services to date. He, however, said the fees agreed to in the engagement letter with KPMG totalled $131,000.
Government hired KMPG to investigate the multimillion-dollar cruise pier project back in 2016.
The cruise pier was developed under the Smith Administration while former NDP member Claude Skelton Cline was Managing Director of the Ports Authority — the body which oversaw the project.
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Pass the buck as usual! Just FDI – F…..g Do It and cease procrastinating and while your catching up on years of neglect where are your audited yearly accounts Mr Premier – no doubt still lazy with those also,blame the Minister of Finance ? I’d sack him…. oops but you can’t sack yourself can you!
Why did the NDP withhold the disclosure of the cost overruns until after the lady election? Were any laws broken by their failure to disclose this while raising money from the public? Remember the bonds they sold to us?
I’m not sure which is worse here: A corrupt government or an incompetent on. Either way the outcome leads to an oppressive nation where too many people are suffering!
When are we going to take back power BVI? The Peoples government is not always for the People –wakeupBVI#
Nonsense, poor excuses. Seems as if the NDP is not averse to the delay in bringing the project completion. It needs to light a white hot fire under KPMG. Every project has a start and finish date; did government give KPMG a finish date? Two years yet no completion date.
Government cannot evaluate itself; such a controversial issue needed to be reviewed by an independent third party. No doubt KPMG is a highly reputable company; nevertheless, to often consultants tell clients what they want to hear. Often perception becomes reality to many. This is a project/issue that was ripe for a commission of inquiry. If there is nothing to hide and everything is above board, why the apprehension? The complain about the TPP has been circulation around since Methuselah was a lil boy. Let’s get ah dun.
LOL @ Since Methuselah was a lil boy….no since the devil was a fetus…lol…even if someone leave a company, a project of the magnitude, where are the receipts for the money spent…craziness…
KPMG would gladly issue a report on what they have. They would also state that not all of the information was provided by Govt. I am quite sure it is the Govt that is telling KPMG “No, wait, don’t write that, we will try to get the information you need.” Thus this long dragged out process. Brace yourself for the tab being more than $131,000. By the way, who audits the financials of the Port and Pier Park? This project should be disclosed in those reports. Why is information not readily available all of a sudden?
It is abundantly clear that too much wrong doing has happen under this NDP gang. The Governor needs to do his job and investigate these things NOW!
Here we go again, playing the delay game and throwing others under the bus.
Dr Smith is speaking nonsense there is no way a reputable company like KPMG would have been involved with reporting on this for the past 2 years and not been paid a dime….if that is the case then – that’s the reason there is no report! The No Direction Party is an appalling payer of money due! Look at the state BVIEC got into – almost bankrupt because they hadn’t paid their bills!
Since your Government needs some help here we go.Cloud on the radio every Tuesday. The others work for the same Government. Ministry of Finance, Office of DPP, National Bank. Shucks man. Stop with this madness.
ROTFLMAO!!! So “persons no longer connected with the BVI Ports Authority” didnt keep proper records during while they were “connected” that would have provided audit evidence, but now they can? Must be scrambling to prevent the issuing a qualified opinion! All from the same government that fought against the concepts of transperancy/accountability and the establishment of the Recovery and Development Agency
What f…ery.
Straight talk Orlando is behaving like an A$$.Bottom line.
The minister in charge of that subject should have some overall imformation. . Is this a cover up? We want accountability for the money spent. The former governor could have had that audit done and he refused to. Now this government is auditing itself. How can this happen? Are the employees afraid to speak?
The former governor was a clown playing politics.
How are they going to have information now when after Hurricane Irma the manner in which Government departments were disposing of Records was a sight to behold. It makes you wonder how such could happen and no one was held accountable, everything was throw into the dumpsters even new Telephones. Some files were picked up and dumped without a second look. There was this lady a department head, who actually went to the dumpster and remove a couple files. Some of the furniture just needed cleaning but they too ended up in the dump. Everyone blaming government but I think appointed Heads of Department should be held accountable for what happens while they are in charge.