It’s a lie! Premier refutes squandering $40M SSB grant
Premier Andrew Fahie has refuted claims by Opposition Leader Marlon Penn that his government squandered a $40 million grant from the Social Security Board (SSB).
Speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) yesterday, March 10, Premier Fahie described Penn’s claims as ‘deliberately dishonest’.
“I am not going to sit and let that be said without addressing it,” the Premier said while addressing the matter.
“During the pandemic, we even went and helped our fishers and farmers and I’m hearing persons – and to be blunt, including the Leader of the Opposition – saying that we squandered the Social Security money and telling the public that we gave it to cronies,” he said.
According to the Premier, this was the same language used by former governor Augustus Jaspert and the Commission of Inquiry (COI).
The Premier told the House that the fisherfolk and farmers grant came out of a $22.5M sum that remained after funds had been expended to address other important issues.
Where the Social Security grant went
The Premier, who also serves as Finance Minister, argued that at least $8.5 million of the grant was expended towards things that should’ve been taken care of a long time ago.
Offering details of how the grant was spent, Premier Fahie said $7.5 million of the funds went towards paying National Health Insurance – a bill he accused the Opposition Leader and the former National Democratic Party (NDP) government of failing to pay during their time in office.
Premier Fahie explained that another $1 million of the SSB grant went towards setting up the unemployment fund, which he said Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley was currently working on.
“Never was there an unemployment benefit for our people, even with [hurricanes] Irma and Maria,” Fahie said.
A myth and a lie
And according to the Premier, a further $9 million of the grant went towards housing development for persons left without homes after the hurricanes of 2017.
“So really and truly – and I said it when I went to the COI – this is a myth that we had $40 million and squandered it between cronies and friends,” the Premier told the House.
“That’s not true. And to be blunt, it’s a lie,” he added.
Premier Fahie said the claims made by the Opposition Leader were an inflation of the amount spent.
“We have to make it clear that the Social Security Board grant was $40 million,” he stated.
He explained that persons were hurting and clamouring for help at the start of the pandemic and his government tried to meet their needs.
Premier Fahie argued that persons will likely judge his government now with the benefit of hindsight but added that hindsight is always perfect.
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Every Virgin Islands resident should ask themself if they see, feel or experience the benefit of an additional $40 million dollars in this place since the money was taken from Social Security.
Some of them will say yes, because the funds ended in their pockets. Most of them will say: nope didn’t receive anything since I’m not one of Foy’s cronies.
Every time this man opens his mouth I feel like I’m listening to my 4 year old telling me he didn’t take his sister’s toy, all the while I can see it under the pillow where he was sitting.
This man need to grow up dread!
And what does Marlon need to do?
Marlon needs to point out things that are not being done, things that are wrong and oppose the present Government’s spending of Government’s money as if it is their own and not to be spent on priority projects for the entire BVI and its people.
Dare I remind the populace at large how we had to endure the Hon. Premier when he was in the Opposition talking non-stop about the same subjects, the plane, the sewerage project in East End, the Hon. Smith led Government being the most corrupt in the history of the Virgin Islands. If you ask me Hon. Penn is being neglectful as the Government was changed so that things could get better. This Government promised us so many things and have not delivered. Money is being spent, a lot of it, four hundred plus million a budget year, and the roads are awful, the schools are awful, the Elmore Stoutt High School is still in shambles yet they took money and demolished the Isabella Morris Primary School. No priority there. Lots more for Hon. Penn to point out, as most people act as if they have short memory. So he needs to get cracking.
You squandered it yes.
There should be a law protecting the workers social security from the politicians
@ WEW
The politicians don’t follow the law. They make the laws and break them. I hope Mrs. Boynes can stand up to them, eventhough she will be victimized and ultimately sent home. That’s the best of those corrupt politicians. We Virgin Islanders are too passive. We the people are the bosses, but we stand back and let these bullies take the reins from us. When they victimize some civil servants because they are not YES people we have to come out and stand for justice and fairness. They have to keep dipping into Social Security because they squander and overspend public funds. Andrew Fahie and his government are the Masters of mis-management,
Most the people on “that list” don’t fish or farm and received all this money, absolutely squandered our SS money. SS board should stop giving away our savings and our future.
I know persons on that list, actual neighbors who neither farm nor fish. They don’t fish off the rocks or keep a backyard garden.
Absolutely nothing.
Anyone who lied on their application to receive those funds should be charged, prosecuted for fraud , and made to return the funds with penalty.
Let them prove they were a fisherman or farmer at the time they applied.
How can you even qualify for grant if you not even a registered farmer or fisherman!!! How can public funds just be given away just so without even the involvement of the agriculture dept/ minister! Not to mention hundreds of thousands on renting barge after trying to refuse the UK navy ship! He squander our social security money yes!
the mispending of that money is going to sink you in the upcoming election.
1 Million went into setting up the unemployment fund, what a load of crap. You just started talking about an unemployment fund and now you claim 1 Mill went there already, let me guess consultancy-fees. Everybody knows fishermen and farmers who received your grants and are not fishermen or farmers so who you trying to fool?
HiMsELf ?
40÷7.2= ____ times? (10 points)
40+7.2= ____ (20 points)
That’s my pension they’re stealing. A grant will never be repaid so it’s theft from the SSB to cover a hole created by government’s corruption and profligacy. STOP IT NOW!
smh..It is time for Fahie and his cronies that he has placed in high government position that are victimizing the staff to go.
Wellsah… what a thing to tell the king.
Education in the toilets.
Health Services undermined, staff underpaid, demoralized and victimized.
Covid money mismanaged.
Friends and Family network being allowed to run rogue.
Pension? What pension? Just now we gin gotta work til we 75.
If persons received funds under false pretenses then why are they not being pursued? I have seen these comments so many times but there seems to be no consequences for their deceit.