Gov’t earned $45K from $250K non-stop concert
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said nearly $50,000 was earned in revenue from the government’s non-stop concert hosted earlier this year to celebrate the arrival of American Airlines’ non-stop flights to the territory.
Premier Wheatley, who also serves as the territory’s Tourism Minister, told lawmakers that the government spent $255,089 altogether in hosting the controversial event, with artistes’ fees ($102,175) and infrastructure ($76,087) taking up the bulk of the spending.
Dr Wheatley said the concert resulted in a revenue haul of $45,153 — with the vast majority of this ($36,353) coming from bar receipts.
“I’ll ask for a more detailed study of that event (non-stop concert) and perhaps even the Emancipation Festival to see what information can be collated to give a better view of, primarily, the economic impact of such events. But we know that economic impact exists,” Dr Wheatley told his colleagues.
Although he didn’t quantify the earned revenues such as accommodation taxes and airport taxes, Dr Wheatley insisted that many small businesses and entrepreneurs were able to earn revenue as a result of the government’s initiative.
He said locally-based vendors such as local entertainers, stage and lighting operators, event coordinators, and persons who offer chair rental services were among the groups that benefitted from the event.
“Most certainly we had visitors from the surrounding islands who came for the event, I saw them myself,” Premier Wheatley said while acknowledging that there is no definitive way of measuring the visitors that came.
He argued, however, that entertainment is a critical part of the BVI’s tourism product and the local economy and said this is especially true during the traditionally slower summer months. He said having festive and entertainment events enhances the experience for residents and visitors and argued that it has the potential to attract additional visitors to the BVI’s shores.
“Ultimately, we have to educate the average citizen or resident of the BVI to the positive impacts of a thriving tourism industry and how those taxes which are collected ultimately contribute to operating government and providing services to the people in the community,” Dr Wheatley explained.
He continued: “And that’s besides the fact that the average citizen or resident had the opportunity to go and to enjoy the concert itself. You see husbands and wives out there having a good time. We might have saved some marriages there.”
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This man is a joker. LOL. I can’t even laugh.
And the schools aren’t ready for children to go. This is pure madness.
Spent $255,089
Revenue $45,153
Lost $209,936
You didn’t “make” anything Slow-Andy, you just wasted less. You could fill a lot of pot-holes for $209,000 I would assume.
Look at them laughing at the people. They right to laugh at us because we were stupid enough to put them back in government.
This is too much for me to get my head around on a Monday morning. The assumptions in his accounting, along with his conclusions are terrifying!
My God, please help our Country!
We have to “educate the average citizen/resident” what an insult to us.Jackasses elected this boi to lead .WOW WOW
Look at who we put to lead our country. We good in our heads? A bunch of inexperienced children.
In addition to that, the students have to stand up under a tent on the festival field to wait on the school bus
Apparently a bartender on the weekend
Wow & WOW!!! A net loss of over $200k and no outrage from anyone? This government can waste and find innovative ways to fleece the public purse without any ramifications. Can we get the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) up and running before year end; or is this way too much to ask!
BVI people we are in the doldrums and have no perceivable way out to escape these Modern Day Pirates! Schools not open today, ESHS on half day, departments struggling to pay bills and BVIEC owed millions while the general public have to bear the burdens of thes incompetent ninconpoops!
loss is 82% of the $255k investment. This result is very poor financial planning so why are they laughing and praising this result? The purpose of the entertainment industry is to earn money and profit not loose money and become insolvent.
Bottom line: The non stop concert was a financial failure.
LOOKEE, LOOKEE AT THE FIRST 2 MEMBERS OF THE BVI BLACK KKK KIKIING IN THEIR COLORFUL SHIRTS L**NG THEIR FACES OFF WITH THE SAP BS.
Blame UK for this cause even when a dog dead you all blaming UK but we head up our a…. and can’t see is our own have us in this s**t for years …..
OK goverment still paid out quarter million dollars of our money for stupidness. Bar, stage lighting people etc made $45,153.00 that is not a deduction from the quarter million as that money did not go back to government coffers.
I keep telling you guys to stop electing these set of bushmen to lead the territory. They are ignorant, incompetent and have no idea how a Country should run. Don’t complain because you the voters keep giving them Carte Blanche to do as they damn well please. Their pockets and stomachs is filled and will always be filled. Can you the ones that put them in office say the same?
SO IN OTHER WORDS HE LOST 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS?
and that other mumu spent 90 Thousand dollars on each of those kiosks by the market
Y’all keep bawling for local leaders so take it how you get it!
Why we acting like we didn’t already know this whole thing was just to put some money in their pahnnah dem pocket. So no matter if we only make 45k after spending 250k mission accomplished!
You could not have said it any better. OUR OWN IS THE ONES THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THEIR OWN DOWN AND WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR OWN DOWN, THIS IS THE EVERYDAY BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER NORMAL ON THIS 2×4 ROCK WE LIVE ON.
With business sense like that I wouldn’t let him run a lemonade stand let alone a country…
They will never disclose what the actual numbers truly were and how much was embezzled.
But too many suspect so and that those numbers are just hush the public suspicions.
No confidence is what it is with this crew, plain and simple.
The outrage here is hilarious! Does anyone here think that Government would’ve made over $200K on a FREE concert? I was not in agreement with the monies being spent on a concert but let’s stop the fake outrage. The Premier said from the onset that the investment was to attract persons here and the private enterprise would’ve seen the spin-off benefits. That information would’ve been beneficial not the monies Government made from a bar they had at the event. The real question is, did the Territory and businesses benefit in any way from the concert?
“The dance cant pay for the lights”
The politicians of all parties are in the game together to get rich at our expense. That’s why no credible candidate stood against the Premier in the 7th. Had a decent candidate stood (and no disrespect to the brave lady who did stand, but she was not a quality candidate), then the Premier would have been thrown out. I’ll say it again, every single politician needs to be thrown out and 13 honest people elected who only have the interests of the country at heart. The phrase “blood is thicker than water” needs to be removed from political in the BVI debate otherwise there will be no progress.
We are at fault. We give a man a job to lead and be minister of finance who has never even negotiated a car loan in his life. We gave him a billion dollar economy to manage when I doubt he even had a personal check book before. What the h**l do we expect?
There are many locals who are very much capable; don’t get this twisted. Not to say others can’t but don’t degrade locals over 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 don’t have a clue locals. Don’t make this a born here, not born here or colour issue. Climb down to ground level.
487 voted him out of a 30,000 plus population. The constitution needs to say that our premier needs to be chosen by all 9 districts – despite what Lorna did she needs to be Premier. Our premier needs to step down. It is out and people talking, those flown in and envelopes scraped him through. The district is left with the majority who did not really vote for him, but the fly outs and those bought have left the stage.
There are many capable BVIslanders. But they don’t stand for elections, so you get to choose from the generally incapable ones who do. If you don’t like those in power, then stand against them. The people will know if you’re capable and honest.
If this is the smoke I pray that we never experience the fire.
That non-stop concert was pure ignorance and immature lil boy thinking. Who were they catering for?
Yet another comedy of errors, not to mention wanton wastage of public funds (taxpayers’ hard earned money).
Lord, send help!
We can’t curse Natalio alone. His entire government was in support of it. Every all.
Their pockets made $50,000 that’s why they’re laughing and smiling at US.
Stop blaming the UK for the things that is being done by your own people. They are the ones that is screwing you left, right and center. They don’t send their children to the deplorable and broken schools, their children don’t go to sleep hungry like a lot of children does on a daily here in the BVI. The wasted money, your TAXPAYING MONEY could have gone to setting up a school breakfast and lunch program. Granted the schools is not equip with cafeterias they could have found a empty building and set up a kitchen area where the breakfast and lunch is prepared and hire drivers to transport the breakfast and lunch to the different schools on the Island. Dosen’t that make sense?
We cannot analyse this as no thought was made as to how measurements might have been taken. Free concert or not, attendees might have had to pass through a barrier to attend: someone might have been asked to inquire whether they were residents or visitors (and whether they made the trip for the concert or not, from where). This could have been done quickly and easily. This concert was never about anything other than putting some $$$ into some people’s pockets. Please let’s not present otherwise, we aren’t as st**id as Natalio is.
Hope the new School Teachers that themselves are just leaving school are not going to use this as part of their Economics Class. We will have to keep using expats who have had a real education to run the businesses.
He just called us dumb! Do you all realize that? The “average citizen” has to be educated?????
Sir “You” need to be educated in common sense and practicality. The Average Citizen warned you not to do this dumb frack! People who actually know and understand Tourism told you not to have this nonsense concert. But you don’t listen, you think you know it all and aren’t taking advice from the real experts.
Your idea was a failure before it started and the Average Citizen told you so. Learn to listen and take advice from the Average Citizen and the real practitioners in the field. Not your brother and other bureaucrats who don’t know a thing about anything.
What accounting school these folks attended? Was the $45,000.00 net after the expense of $250,000.00 was deducted?
This whole thing call BVI GOVT.needs to shut the hell down now before we spoil it all in away
These lunatics we elected Taking us for granted.Some body might answer
Up
Lol. Maybe he should not have campaigned as hard and bought his way through.
$250k spent
$45k revenue
promo costs $205k
Used to stay in the Tortola at a rental on Apple Bay for many-many years. About 20 years ago we stayed with two friends for the 1st time on St Thomas for a long weekend & the four of us rented a boat for $200 that stay. I said “let’s go to Jost & Pusser’s Landing” where we were charged $45-person BVI entry fee. The combined $180 got a us a cheesy BVI themed diploma. Since that day trip we have been staying in St John’s (missed 2 years cause of Covid) given it’s essentially the same water, weather, diving as the BVI except the fees. It’s my understanding the BVI entry fee is running about $100-pp. Now the BVI Gov is throwing free music shows for $250K to celebrate the recent return of American Airline (recall the “worker sick out” at Beef Island the 1st week AA returned) is fully embedded in my Grey Matter. Never mind poor customer service by BVI Port Authority, Customs etc I won’t be back until someone in the BVI Government reads and adapts Adam Smith’s Rules of Economics. PS: Don’t stray over BVI water border or the BVI will take the boat and maybe torch it too!!
@ politicians. In prior years and now there are persons in the HOA who are not and were not as well spoken in terms of words chosen as our current Premier but they had common sense. They knew what to say layman term and said what they meant with class. The D7 is representing us as premier poorly and needs to step down and give Premiership to Lorna. The lady who ran against him is a doer and continues to be a doer. Her first time so she was a bit relaxed, too quiet we think, and feeling the environment. But based on what I heard she turned up that long look on them when she sent a message to them loud and clear in 2021. If you did not know she has represented this Territory overseas annually before vip got in power, and is well respected overseas. Her accolades were not promoted because she felt that representing people shouldn’t be about what is on paper; common sense is rather critical and D7 has none. Also note that the quality of a person lies in his or her integrity and our premier lacks integrity. She’ll watch you and read and stay quiet. Don’t underestimate what you don’t fully know and understand. Stick to your issue and leave the lady alone. 487 votes should not have been the deciding factor for premiership. Our premier needs to be an at-large candidate. Tell our premier to step down from continuously embarrassing himself and promote Lorna. District 7 must be sh!t with shame.
HE NEEDS TO BE SURCHARGED
Common sense is not so common. We have to give it to him though, He plays with words good. Unfortunately our territory is falling apart.
You all think D5 has more common sense than his opponent. The opponent is far ahead. Speech gets you no where where common sense is required. Set of tools
bet they aint got bill yet for $36000 booze sale, original inventory. probably $37000.
The look of these two lu**tics faces drive me off…Stop tryna fool the masses,we know that’s not the figures you show.There’s many other expenses you didn’t mention.A Mr. Smith suppose to be this I**ot adviser being paid handsomely over one hundred per year to have him come to try to fool us.You’re no dictator boy and.we are not kindergardeners so stop your s**t.Thats why the COI is very much needed
Stage and lighting operators? Is that a distraction?
How much was the STAGE itself?
Bar receipts is not net profit/surplus. It is revenue. Revenue – expenses = Net profit/surplus or loss/deficit. Based on the information given, we have a net loss or deficit or whatever works for you. The Premier knew exactly what he was saying. Don’t gaslight it.
One air purifier at the least could have been alloted to each household affected by the decades ongoing toxic breath the people in the affected Districts are forced to breathe, compliments of the million dollar nonfunctioning contraption in Pockwood Pond propelled by repeatedly broken promises of the duly elected of every persuasion.
Governor, What’s it going to take to shut down this madness and the UK take over ?
Recently I asked a member of the govt about Wheatley. What does he do, I wanted to know.
He spends most of his time planning trips and events I was told.
He spends zero time on roads, education, sewage, water and the rest.
He doesnt even believe they are his responsibility.
This cl**n must go.
Aya know damn well them thief the money.