Maliciousness! Premier blasts critics of govt’s SSB funding request
The territory’s political leader has frowned at attempts by some persons to brand his government’s request for funding from the Social Security Board (SSB) as ‘wrong’.
“There is no government that ever existed that never got either a grant or a loan from Social Security [Board]. So, making this as a big thing by others is nothing but maliciousness,” Premier Andrew Fahie said at a recent press conference.
According to the Premier, this was an example of majoring in the minor.
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has repeatedly suggested that the Premier was not being entirely forthcoming when addressing the issue, insisting that the Premier had instead requested a grant and not a loan from the Social Security Board as he had stated earlier.
When asked whether he was able to foresee his government receiving a grant instead of a loan from the SSB, the Premier said he could neither say yes nor no.
“When you’re in these positions and you’re looking for funding, if the Social Security Board does their actuary science report which they would have to do in terms of projection, and they can do it, [then] yes,” he stated.
At that stage, Premier Fahie said, the SSB would then tell the government whether they can do a grant or not.
The Premier emphasised that it was not up to his government to determine the size and form of any funding that it may receive from the SSB.
“They will do that through their research, and see what they can do or cannot do. And then with that now, if it’s a loan then we’ll get it,” he added.
The territory’s leader also noted that previous governments have done a splendid job of always repaying the Social Security Board’s money. This is not the first time that the Premier has sought to defend his government’s request for funding from the SSB.
“There are discussions ongoing because there is no secret, we must get loans from somewhere and if we can have Social Security invest the money locally rather than abroad, then we can ensure that they have a good customer who is paying back,” the Premier said in mid-March.
In the meantime, the Premier indicated that discussions had stalled between his government and the SSB in recent weeks for the requested funding.
“We have not had continuous discussions since the last time we had the press conference,” the Premier stated. “We were really busy with some other major things that we were dealing with.“
The Fahie-led government secured a $40 million grant from the SSB in 2020 as part of an economic stimulus response to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the BVI.
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I don’t believe a word from your mouth Andrew. Sorry. BVI people may not know you but I do.
Grandiose housing projects often run out of money.
Social security has a responsibility “To manage the people’s money responsibly”. Unlike Govt..It was just two years ago they got 40 plus million and can’t properly account for it.,Now two years after they want another 60 plus million .Lord man. Too much too often..By now they should know that refusing the 300 million guaranteed loan from Britain is a gross mistake. If Govt both past and present had allow social security to build for the country another 4 storage building at the land at Port Purcell round about that would have been a good futuristic investment putting our money to work for the country..Cut back on the millions they paying for rent monthly, use some of that same money and pay back Social security and put the rest in the treasury in a matter of 5 yes our reserved would be in the hundreds of millions….That’s real vision.
The money is not yours and certainly not for your friends and family- you really giving the UK a reason to move in f–l
Mr governor we need help keeping the vip government away from the social security funds
Mr. Fahie those of us who are critizing you are fed up with your antics. Your government have gotten loans and grants from SSB and nothing was done for the territory and the people. The roads are not fixed, the sewage is running in the street, the capital stinks. It is more than four years since hurricanes Irma and Maria, Administration Complex, schools, community centers, court houses still not repaired. You give hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent to your families, friends and croonies. Yes we have a problem with you using Social Security like it is your personal piggy bank. That money is to take care of people in their old age. It is not for you to squander as you see it fit. Andrew what is wrong with you? Where is your conscience? Where is your decency? Where is the loyalty you pledged to be transparent and fair to the constituencies of these beautiful Virgin Islands? I don’t know what to say about you. Despicable is too kind. In your face you can’t hide the deceitful person that you are. You wear it well. Carry on my brother.
This is what you fire a CEO for.. The Bvi is now laying the foundation for perpetual unaccountability of its civil servants and government which is basically a slide into the toilet of territorial general and fiscal health. The voter is the coach and these 10,000 coaches have done nothing to hold their players accountable and to demand performance and effort 20 years is a good sample. It indicates the BVI‘s governments regardless of the team they’re on have been consistently inapt and fiscally reckless that being said the people have reared a government like a child with no discipline so there’s a good amount of blame to place in all we. We’re at the point where as parents of this failed government we need to send them away to reform school or as seems prescient the UK government comes in and takes over and they leave.
The Government tried and failed to get loans from the commercial banks because they have no recent audited accounts and no way of showing how they would be able to pay back the loans. In other words, they are a bad risk. So, instead of fixing the problems (corruption, inefficiency, lack of vision, etc.) they want to carry on and get another grant or loan from the SSB. Either is theft from the people of the BVI, since the loan will never be paid back.
I think Fahie should donate his money to the people instead of asking the SSB to donate the peoples’ money to his appalling government…
Can we organize a territory wide march against this government messing with the people’s Social Security monies? Let’s give a 10% raise to persons who are now collecting their SCB benefits. To level off with inflation and high food and bills prices. Those in favor. Thumbs up ?. Against then Thumbs down ?.
The VIP government is a financial mess hence a fiscal risk. The VIP government needs to get its house in order and PAY BACK to the SSB all of the $40 million it squandered since Feb. 2019.
Malicious? This joker didn’t really spew that nonsense right? Have you paid back the last loan you took of OUR (the people) money? Yet here you are begging for more. Ask why you can’t get a penny from the banks, they done see yall a damn liability so now you want to continue raping the people’s money. SSB got a right to stall & they better not give in to the foolishness either. Sick of all these governments
When will, we the people get the COI Report?