Governor addresses 2-year delay of TPP audit report
“Because the governor doesn’t shout publicly all the time doesn’t mean things aren’t always happening.” — Governor Augustus Jaspert (right, background).
Amid increased public calls for the territory’s governor to take a more assertive role in ensuring good governance, Governor Augustus Jaspert added his voice to the controversy surrounding the pier part audit, which has been ongoing for nearly two years now.
He told journalists at a media conference last week he has written to Premier Dr D Orlando Smith on the issue.
“Specifically on that audit, I’ve been very clear with the Premier about the expectations that it should be coming out soon,” he said.
As it relates to good governance, the governor said he has noticed “areas where things need to improve”.
He further said he is ‘committed’ to ensuring he holds government to what he described as high standards of transparency and accountability. The governor, however, said it is not for him to “jump on every single issue and to be the enforcer”.
“I don’t operate on rumours, I don’t operate on things that people may just say. If there’s that need [for a matter] to be investigated, the responsibility is to make sure they are investigated by the right authorities … [But], because the governor doesn’t shout publicly all the time doesn’t mean things aren’t always happening.”
“Where I place importance is making sure that the right institutions are investigated,” he said.
As for government’s rationale for why the pier park audit is reportedly still incomplete, the Premier’s latest claim is that former BVI Ports Authority employees with intimate knowledge of the cruise pier project are behind the delay.
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Good luck Governor – your predecessors tried and failed to encourage good governance and transparency – The ” No Direction Party” are not interested and won’t listen to the people never mind your good self – but thanks for trying
BVI Government will get increasingly more oversight attention from FCO and Governor in future. We have your back BVI people. Dont worry be happy.
Contrary to what the new leader of the NDP said, all i see is mistrust in this government
When you have no plan to do something, you lay blame at the feet of someone else and abscond from your direct responsibilities….
A lil white poodle barking at that old black mutt
Can we please stop the racist remarks in this country. You dont add any value by keep calling people black and white. People are people. Regardless of their color.
all the money gone in ndp bank
The Black racist government and ruling families of the BVI have no interest in listening to the Governor or the U.K. The people of the BVI would rather the territory become poor, crime invested and third world just like Haiti then bring in “white experts” to bring the Territory back. Racism will and is the downfall of the BVI.
Have you spoken to the majority of people in the BVI before making such a statement?
Time for a snap election and take away all travel documents from those crooked politicians so they don’t run and hide when they lose. The Bible say the first shall be last. The politicians’ former employees will become their leaders who they will have to answer to. Snap snap it up man.
The beauty of the law is that it is the great equalizer. If we followed the letter of the law, and there was accountability and transparency (i.e. good governance) we would not be in this mess!
@Standards you are absolutely correct with your statement. Protocols, Standards, Transparency are in effect, Recipes for Success. In our case, written by a country with the understanding of how Democratic countries are run. In our case, we need that guidance. Like Patient and Doctor, when the prescription is ignored, Terrible consequences occur b4 our very eyes, just as they are occuring.
After all, We are a New kid on the kid on the block, highly in need of Guidance.
The bvi government is just for them self and there family not for the general public or tax payers or to say people who is here on work permit it a hand to mouth salary , working so hard to build this little rock and they r the ones who have been treated the worst by the bvi landers , unity is power bvi learn that boo.
In 2011, the NDP government unseated the sitting VIP government with a 9-4 thrashing at the polls. It was a mandate to put the floundering BVI on a new course, Further, in 2015, the mandate continued with an 11-2 shellacking of the Opposition at the polls. However, the NDP failed miserably in carrying out the mandate. The failure started well before the devastating hurricanes of 2017; good governance, ie, accountability, responsibility, transparency, effective stewardship and fiduciary responsibility,,,,,,,,etc was severely lacking .
The Tortola Pier Park (TPP) project, though a good project, is an example of how and where good governance went off the rails; it was like a run-a-away train. The project allegedly incurred an eye popping and head scratching $40M cost overrun.
Consequently, the project needed to be investigated by an independent entity to find out what went wrong, ie, the project was poorly designed and estimated, grossly overbidded, poorly managed ……..etc. To find out what happened, government initiated an audit of the project that is 2 years in the making but still incomplete. The delay for the completion seemed like plain old excuses: “As for government’s rationale for why the pier park audit is reportedly still incomplete, the Premier’s latest claim is that former BVI Ports Authority employees with intimate knowledge of the cruise pier project are behind the delay.”
Enough of already, let’s get this audit completed. The carrot approach is not working; it is time to break out the stick, a big stick. Seemed like the Governor does not want to appear as the enforcer but it is time to weigh in on this one. Former Guv Duncan took a pass on taking action to find out what happened, when pressed by the Opposition. Good governance demands that the electorate know what, how, when, why and where things happened.
Quote attributed to Harry S. Truman “You can’t get rich in politics unless you’re a crook.”
Whenever there seems to be corruption and it is left unchecked then it erodes the moral and social fabric of any society.