NDP gov’t focused on Pier Park and neglected infrastructure — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has blamed the previously governing National Democratic Party for failing to invest adequately in the territory’s basic infrastructure, arguing that millions were instead poured into projects such as the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park.
Speaking last week on the Virgin Islands Voice programme, Dr Wheatley said his government inherited ageing water infrastructure, leaking reservoirs and a dysfunctional pressure management system — problems he suggested were years in the making.
“In the prior administrations, the priorities were the hospital and the Pier Park. That’s where we spent our money,” Premier Wheatley said.
He specifically questioned whether spending approximately $80 million to $90 million on the Pier Park was the best use of public funds, arguing that private investors could potentially have financed the development.
“We literally took money from our infrastructure, including our sewerage, to be able to do the Pier Park,” the Premier charged.
Premier Wheatley said those decisions have contributed to some of the infrastructure problems residents are experiencing today.
The comments came as a BVI News story about sea bathing on Jost Van Dyke has garnered regional attention, triggering comments from the government that the reports are sensationalised and portray the BVI in a negative light.
According to Premier Wheatley, little was invested in the water distribution network during the two administrations before his government took office. While investments were made to increase water production through BiWater and Seven Seas, he said the ageing distribution network was largely neglected.
The Premier said his administration secured the $100 million infrastructure loan — the largest loan in the territory’s history — partly because Works Minister Kye Rymer initially lacked the funding needed to properly tackle roads, water and sewerage.
An initial $8 million allocation has already allowed the ministry to purchase water meters, repair tanks and undertake other works, Dr Wheatley said. However, he acknowledged that significantly more money will be needed.
He said he has instructed the Financial Secretary to secure additional funding for projects such as transmission lines connecting Sabbath Hill to other reservoirs and improvements to the water management system.
In the meantime, Dr Wheatley cautioned residents that rebuilding the water network will not happen overnight and could bring further temporary disruptions.
“It’s going to take a lot of time, and in some instances, it’s going to be very painful,” he said, while expressing confidence that the ongoing investments will eventually deliver a reliable potable water supply.
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And you now seeking to be as bad as they were with your SECRET airport.
What a fool.
But we blame the 487 fools.
You, Andrew, and the gang came begging the people on bending knees to put you in office, promising to fix these problems in four years. You blame covid, the COI, the former VIP, The NDP and the shut down and asked for four more years to do the job. We took the bait and extended your term in office.
For eight years we have been pleading with you and literally crying for you to address our school’s infrastructure, sewage, and water crisis. Minister Rymer stood in the house many times begging like a child for the money to address these matters.
It’s sad to say, but you only wanted to party and put money into music tourism.
I find it distasteful for you to come before the people after 8 years talking about others who were there before. There have been several marches, protestors on the radio begging for water. It all went on deaf ears.
You have a habit of high jacking the host on talk shows filling up our ears with hopeless hopes “It’s going to take a lot of time; it’s going to be very painful and slow.” enough already!!
Many called in to Tola Radio and ZBVI expressing their concerns that you are not listening to the will of the people and doing your own thing.
You know what’s so surprising, for years you and your father were on the air advocating for these problems to be addressed under previous administrations, you claimed to be the great African Warrier who will fix them if given the chance.
You keep bringing up Pier Park, but the park has stood the test of time; it is a stable revenue generator.
You should be shame to see people going to the sea to bathe on Jost Van Dyke and in Tortola. The cost of living is off the roof; you make sure you secure yourself before addressing the minimum wages. Many promises are broken, many projects started and unfinished.
Residents are fed-up with the lies and excuses about why rebuilding the water network as not happen or attempted to take place. The team at water & sewage has been pleading for pipes and upgraded equipment for years. It fell on deaf ears and closed eyes.
But we will not wait for more excuses, it’s time to hire people capable. You clearly are not.
You’ve been in government for 8 years now so you don’t get to blame anyone for anything anymore. It’s all on you. Maybe if your government has taken the 409 million loan guarantee from the UK since 2019 the infrastructure would have been much more improved. Take responsibility Mr. Premier. That is what leaders do.
Number 1, thank you for the refreshing reminder that an NDP government means an intentional focus on building and investing in things that have long term benefits for all, while being able to maintain all infrastructure. Pause there. What did the current premier focus on…anyone? Nonsense all-night parties that have no benefit except for the ones who getting to pocket the money. No immediate, short term, medium term or long term benefit. Or else we would have seen the reports and evidence we BEEN asking for. If the parties were so good like he in his mind wants to believe, why not throw another all night party to fix the woes he now complains of? No? Ok.
Number 2, let us clear up the root cause of the woes. Things go bad over time. We want to assume that everybody knows this. That’s why they require maintenance and upkeep. Somehow, none of the infrastructure, both seen and unseen, was this bad under a NDP government. Maybe they were actually maintaining and ‘upkeeping’? No? Ok. The current government must have believed that the all-night party fairies or the 1001 legislation passed in one day could magically fix, maintain and upkeep all things. Because that’s what they focused on it seems. Party, travel, pass 1001 legislation. No maintenance. No upkeep. Only to learn that when you fail to do so, things bigger than you will start to brew. However somehow, this government that served for at least 2 terms wants us to believe that the brewing started before them and has nothing to do with their negligence, neglect, whether wilful or due to sheer incompetence…too incompetent to understand that running a government isn’t about throwing all night parties and the like. If the infrastructure we could see, we clearly watched going to the dogs, brewing all sorts of conditions we hadn’t seen since the days of travelling on donkeys, then heaven forbid the brewing that was taking place with the infrastructure we could not see. Some impact is now clear as day but we know not the extent of the real impact of the neglect and negligence of this current government. All we know is that the premier wants to gaslight us and pass the blame because we ah set of moomoo.
We know another thing and that is that the new government will have its work cut out for it like hell but at least we should be able to trust that they will get the job done, at least to the same as or even to a higher standard than they did the beautiful pier park.
Spot on!
Hear this assboi, you Andrew said the NEW was the most corrupt and you guys were going to Fox it All, you f**k up money on some many ways travelling uncessary, foolish parties, bringing in criminals to entertain our youths, at no account to this day. Visites VG last week dirt from the dock all the way to get a rentas at Speed y, Vincent said seven years ago he only needs Three months to espérate, up to now. Andrew is still where he choose to be at present so tell me who to blame
Private companies with a turnover in excess of $400 million are run by businessmen not village boys with a taste for travel
But Premier, when you say private investors could have financed Pier Park, tell the whole story.
The private proposal on the table involved leasing the land for 48 years, with Government only having buyout options after 15 and 30 years.
That was the trade-off for private financing. Private money was never free money.
Instead, the Territory ultimately financed the development and retained the asset and its revenue-generating potential for itself.
So what exactly are you saying was the mistake?
Was it the movement of certain infrastructure funds, which can be separately questioned and accounted for, or are you suggesting the Territory made a mistake investing in Pier Park itself?
Because if Government says cruise has value, it cannot keep speaking about the principal public investment in cruise as though the country would have been better off without it.
Was the financing the problem, or was Pier Park the problem? Pick one and explain it.
@Nonsense, who ever said that he was a leader he is in the position but far from being a leader?
Actually it was your government that refused the 400 million dollar loan to fix the infrastructure, as well as refusing the offer of assistance removing the storm debris from the hills and valleys by the UK navy personnel. So it is your responsibility to take respo9ncibility for the state o9f the islands now.
Natalio Wheatley is calling down the the NDP did. He is putting down the Pier Park without the Pier Park the cruise ship industry won’t be what it is today, if Natalio Wheatley would staff and pay the hospital staff a decent salary and maintain the hospital then we would have a good hospital. What have you done Natali Wheatley? I know travel and party and tell us a lot of lies about what good it would do for the country. It’s time for you to be gone.
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Does Natalio realize the VIP party has been in power for 2 terms now? When will this guy take accountability for anything. It’s always someone else’s fault or he doesn’t know. At what point during those 2 terms has Natalio even considered he has to fix the countries infrastructure. His buddy Rhymer is the minister for works also VIP.
THISSS man is hilarious. King of Deflecting.
YES YOU Slowie
At least NDP accomplished something very important. Do you see how slow dead the place is when there is no cruise ship in Port. NDP did there part. Now do your part and quit the excuses.
Ask your deputy Premier about his involment you lunatic and hear what he has to say. His instigación about BiWayer will be be corrected you disillusion,boy
THAT WAS NEATLY PUT / HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY GOT THE MESSAGE. THIS PUERTO RICAN THINKS HE IS AND WE ARE STUPID .
Naughty-leo, is saying)> looking down on you sets of illiterate people ,its obvious ya’al is not in my league, and now that i got my new consultant who can do wonders with with embelishing we can do great things together • just watch me “do mah ting”
His illiteracy as Premier is oozing from his face. We should have known better though because he couldn’t handle a class of students. There are many still waiting on a grade but he got his paycheck that he should pay back.