Frustration! Fraser slams govt’s new procurement policies
Government procurement rules are holding back vital infrastructure works across the BVI, Deputy Premier Julian Fraser argued during a recent broadcast of Virgin Islands Voice.
Fraser raised the concern during a wide-ranging discussion on public works, where he pointed out that the lengthy and rigid procurement process is frustrating government efforts to deliver timely improvements in key areas such as water infrastructure.
“We have to fix the procurement policies of the territory,” Fraser asserted. “You can’t address yesterday’s problem today in the water business. You have to address yesterday’s problem yesterday.”
He explained that government workers are aware of longstanding issues, such as leaking reservoirs, but remain unable to respond swiftly due to the constraints of the current Procurement Act.
“You started the process to fix those reservoirs months ago. But you can’t get the projects, you can’t get the contractors, you can’t get anything done. And as long as it continues like that, the public is going to be continuously frustrated with the government who is trying as hard as they can,” Fraser stated.
Fraser pointed to previous instances where urgent action had been allowed under special circumstances, such as when the Baughers Bay water plant failed when he served as subject minister in a former government.
“The Cabinet of the Virgin Islands granted permission for me to spend money to fix it. And that money, I was able to bring in the technical expertise that I needed overnight. I didn’t have to go through the procurement process that takes how many months,” he explained.
Fraser suggested that the current Minister for Communications and Works, Kye Rymer, should pursue a similar emergency declaration to bypass regular procurement rules. “You came up with a brilliant idea, which was to declare the water situation in the territory an emergency. If we get that done… you would be able to use the procurement policies under an emergency to do what you need to do,” he stated.
Rymer acknowledged the difficulty, arguing that the government has been making an effort. “It’s not for lack of effort that we are where we are,” he said. “The Procurement Act hinders us from being able to be as agile and as nimble as we want to be in terms of fixing these issues.”
Fraser warned that without faster processes, the government risks falling into a cycle of constant delays. “You’re going to fix one reservoir, and by the time that one is fixed, the others are going to be broken,” he argued.
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Part-Head upset because it a little harder to make ill-advised purchases. That was the corner stone of his campaign strategy.
It’s obvious we need to go back to the old system. That worked perfectly. Never a dollar stolen or wasted!
It’s why our infrastructure has always been of the highest quality with the billions of government revenue spent wisely since the 1990s!
More grants for our farmers and fisher folk; especially those that don’t farm or fish!
Build more public housing like at Joe’s Hill!
The water board that’s hysterically funny what have they been smoking?
Didn’t you pass the legislation governing the procurement process? miss me with the fake outrage
All them so good for is thinking on ways to side step the rules. I wonder how anywhere else with similar procurement processes getting anything do but we cant. Look into that on the next tax payer funded trip.
in the new era of Post CoI procurement. The old corrupt procurement process is dead. Either accept reality or leave!
This is complete nonsense. These have been leaking since 2012 and beyond.
Nothing to do with new rules.
Due to Ministers incapabilit of doing anything without a family member buddy or themselves benefitting.
I swear the commentors here are clueless and such crab in buckets. WE the people are suffering due to the procurement process that the UK forced us to adopt. We are not getting the services and upgrade that we need as a result of this legislation. has nothing to do with corruption or anything. UK laws cannot work in the BVI as these are two completely different environments and economies. I’m not a fan of Frazer or the VIP but our government has to be able to respond more quickly to the needs of our communities. This procurement law is crap. We cant get any timely solutions to anything in this country now. All because of crab in bucket sentiments like the people who posted here. We so badly want to hate on Kye and Frazer, that we dont care that entire villages are still rationing water and scheduling when they can bathe or take a dump and flush the toilet. Not one of you mentioned anything about the water issues. You only bad talked the elected officials.
“WE the people are suffering due to the procurement process that the UK forced us”. That’s not the reason, it’s a pattern that existed before the new percurrent rules.
What you’re really saying is the government is so inept it can’t manage a regular procurement process.
Now that’s something I can believe!
As a person passing through District 6 every day twice a day I can tell you that water is running in the streets more often than it is on in homes. How long has Fraser been rep for district 6 again? People don’t go to church because that’s when water is on. If they go by the time they get back water running at a trickle, low pressure, or it off all together. How long it takes for anyone to notice this crap situation before the new “COI” procurement policies go into play? Please. Wheel and come again.
Who came up with the new process and how was it approved and implemented? Was it tested?
fraser needs to retire, dude is way past his sell date
See the A** in the Box mentality why we can’t get anything done. Every move you make its a bunch of negativity and stupid remarks that do nothing but create confusion. How can any sensible progress be made at such a rate but you still complaining and carrying on. Y’all so lost its a shame.
Whasdt is wrong with him ? First he got to figure out where he wants to go , as csc said some of these people who have done their time needs to go home one time you were chasing down the COI we Don’t know if he found it , the procurement issues werd around when he were in the VIP before which is a lot of years and now here he is hollering out like it happened overnight man if you ain’t got nothing to say just sit back and enjoy the ride , your district needs serious attention and there is a lot nof unanswered Questions on that water fiasco , what have you really accomplished in government so that we can name something after you ? We have Stoutt – Romney – O’neal even Hodge etc . CSC gave YA’AL a good advice -L E A V E when YA’AL did your time / why not get a grasscutter and go and on the horse track and start getting g the grass it will be a good exercise for you sir •
He’s complaining because for once there are the proper checks and balances in place. So what if it takes a bit longer as long as no hands have been in the cookie jar – no problem.
“when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”
One word – proper planning.
This gentleman is the same one who sat in the House when the bill for Registry of Interests was voted for. He’s the same one that sounded like a buffoon during his testimony on why he NEVER complied with the same law that he was present for when it was passed. Of course none of those folks had any intention of complying with their own law, especially those in the NDP. But as they had campaigned on “government in the sunshine” or transparency, they had to pass the law but of course we the folks who voted for them would never know they weren’t complying. Then along came those poker face lawyers from the UK with their folders of information, the answers to their questions were already in black and white and they knew the answers when they asked the questions. They weren’t counting on that. Thank Andrew Fahie for being the cause of all of those “honorable” folks being outed. What a mash up.