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Make Setting Point official port of entry, sluggish public officers told

Wheatley

Representative of the Ninth District, Vincent Wheatley has sought to reprimand public service officers who he says are behind the prolonged delay to make Setting Point on Anegada an official port of entry.

“What is taking so long? I will not be quiet about certain things anymore because these things need to be done for the advancement of these areas,” said Wheatley whose constituency also includes Anegada.

“Making Setting Point an official port of entry will bring great relief to the people of Anegada in terms of getting supplies to the island so the island can develop,” the government minister added.

Seemingly frustrated, Wheatley said the responsibility to get this task done now lies with the public service and not with himself as Anegada’s representative or with the government minister with portfolio responsibility.

And while commending public officers who have been working long and odd hours for the BVI, he said there are others only concerned with aimlessly clocking in and out of work without getting much done.

He said those are the nonchalant public officers delaying projects in areas such Anegada.

“We started a road project over there some years ago. Let’s finish the road project. What are they waiting for? Anegada is a tourism island. There is no tourism right now. Let’s get these projects going so persons can have work to do. Let’s get on with them,” Wheatley urged while speaking in the House of Assembly on Thursday.

“They don’t want to blame me as district rep, they don’t want to blame the minister for this. But the work must be done through the public service. And I’m asking those public officers … please, for the sake of the territory, [get the job done],” Wheatley continued.

“Again, I commend those who work but we need more persons doing more work,” he concluded.

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18 Comments

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  1. oh well says:

    As usual, blame the public officers. They are easy scape goats. How quick we forget. the other day when the honorable was a public officer, he hardly did any work. He knows that there are other factors that may be contributing factors to the delay

    Like 22
    Dislike 3
  2. Reference says:

    Wheatley is one of the l**iest people I have ever worked with.

    Like 24
  3. Throw public officers under the bus says:

    Is the new VIP slogan..

    Like 20
    Dislike 1
  4. LOL says:

    Leaders LEAD, it’s not magic! This is what happens when you do NOT have a plan!!!!

    Like 19
  5. Easy says:

    So let me get this straight. When there are initiatives that positively impact the islands it’s the Minister/Poltician’s doing, but when negative things happen it’s the public service/civil servants’ fault? Wow!

    Like 23
  6. confused says:

    I’m sorry….who do these public officers report to? Is the Minister not actually in charge of getting things done? What is he there for then?

    Like 24
    • This is the issue says:

      The public officers do not report to the Minister. They report to the Deputy Governor who reports to the Governor. I am actually somewhat sympathetic, as Ministers genuinely cannot get things done because the implementers (public officers) report to someone else. The reporting lines need to change and then we can blame the Ministers.

      Like 4
      Dislike 7
  7. The real solution says:

    Why is the minister begging and not instructing….??

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
  8. smh says:

    Why are they still on the pay role if they have not been doing their JOB for years?

    Like 10
  9. Renewables says:

    What about the solar power station that we all saw you shake hands on

    Like 14
  10. Sandy Roads says:

    Please lets not pave any more roads on Anegada. Driving on the sand roads is part of the experience that makes it such a special place.

    Like 5
    Dislike 1
  11. WE FROM HAAA says:

    SO WE ARE ENTITLED ,WE RUN THINGS

  12. Problems says:

    Setting Point in Anegada is too shallow for most commercial vessels to discharge cargo and the concrete dock is too weak for heavy cargo. Converting Setting Point to a safe accessible storm resistant commercial port of entry would cost many millions of dollars.

    • SPIRIT says:

      The concept was to make it a legal port of entry, not to make it a deep water cargo terminal. Not unlike Jost Van Dyke.

      While they are at it, they need to make the airport a port of entry again (as it was prior to COVID-19).

      • Great Concept but/ says:

        What international traffic (marine/air) is struggling to get to anegada? Of all the things resources need to be deployed towards this hardly seems like a priority. What am I missing?

  13. Remember says:

    He was a powerful public officer, sister islands coordinator. He did nothing at all.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  14. Hmm says:

    We got tablet for you.

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