Fraser slams RDA over sunken vessels in SCB harbour
Opposition Leader Julian Fraser has protested about the unsavoury state of the Sea Cows Bay Harbour some five years after the onslaught of hurricanes Irma and Maria in the territory.
The Third District Representative said the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) — the organisation charged with most of the territory’s post-hurricane rebuild — came to him years ago about the removal of derelict vessels in the harbour after a concerned resident expressed disgust at the sight of the sunken vessels.
According to Fraser, after his meeting with the RDA, it was agreed that the vessels would be removed but the agency explained that it needed to do so through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour.
“But the RDA and the government sometimes behave like the [US] federal government where they tie the funds up — you want to pass a bill, you add on something to it. They call it pork — so, everything must go together,” Fraser said.
He expressed that sunken vessels at another location in the territory were, therefore, considered along with the vessels in his district.
The lawmaker explained that it was later realised that there was not enough funding to remove vessels at both locations, so the project was ultimately overlooked and funds reallocated.
Gov’t sabotaging Third District?
Fraser also questioned the logic behind dredging of the harbour, given the presence of the sunken vessels.
“Now, those vessels are still there since hurricane Irma in 2017… You got a harbour and you got sunken vessels in the harbour. How in God’s name could you dredge the same harbour with those sunken vessels in it?” Fraser asked.
He argued that the government spent some $1. 5 million to dredge the SCB harbour while the vessels were sitting there.
“You tell me if this isn’t a plan to somehow. What? Sabotage the people in Sea Cows Bay or something like that? Is it a government plan to sabotage the people in Sea Cows Bay?,” Fraser asked. “I told them already. They’re not hurting me by doing nonsense, they’re hurting the people of the Third District.”
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Everyone knows who’s boats they are! Just a few that the owners left the country.
Fine them! Put a leien on they property! Attach to their pay!
Irresponsible people causing this problem. Make them pay to clean it up, or clean it up themselves.
This is going to happen again. Need a plan to fix it. We do not need to hear your voice, it doing nothing for the situation.
Why has there been no arrest and charge on the sea cows bay Harbour project? Public funds was used on private property owned by this man. His family members got the contracts and did not do the work. The audit report said all of this. The country did not benefit from the project only him and his company. The UK just seem to be going after who they want to destroy.
Time for Mr Part- Head to call it a day and retire. Any man that don’t speak up yo his barber can’t lead
ever reads or listens to what ever ‘news’ originates from this dinosaur of a politician. Retirement time!
Stop from beating that dead horse by calling for Fraser’s arrest, like you want company for Myron? You’re beginning to sound like a broken record on every site daily with this witch hunt, Fraser is as clean as a whistle and you can quote me on that.
The fact is that a number of the wrecked boats are the responsibility of Manual Reef Marina as it, and the marina’s manager managed the boats, or had seized them for non-payment of slip fees and tied them to the mangrove island. The managed boats were insured and the manager should have held the owners’ insurance companies responsible for disposal. In addition, the owners of some of the other boats are resident here and should have been held responsible by the government for disposal.
Why wasn’t Fraser pushing hard back then?? Probably for the same reason that we didn’t see him for any of the clean up after Irma, while we physically cleared the road from Road Reef to Nanny Cay that Thursday. Time to elect someone who cares and and is able to actually get things done for the 3rd!!
Fraser clean as which whistle? A whistle that was in a pig sty? We forget Bi-Water? We forget Digicel? we forget the Harbour Project? Clean when and where?
Imagine all the engine oil and fuel into the ocean smh
What about the $45,000 round about he erected at Beef Island?
The jealous few who badmouth Fraser on a daily basis can’t prevent him from being re-elected
This is the problem. It’s so Myopic. What about the sunken boats in Roadtown, the derelict trucks and cars everywhere, the garbage in everyone’s yards. Paraquita. Come on. Tidy up the place but not just in Fraser’s back yard for his Marina project to look pretty.
is every politician and rabble rouser in BVI a conspiracy theory nut who sees plots and plans to destroy them around every corner ?
All those beliefs demonstrate is that they are not very bright.
@justify this
No Won’t be quoting you.
RDA was just a big waste of time and money. Send them and their crew back home.