Non-locals using Paraquita Bay farm lands as ‘living quarters’?
Reports to the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) are that Paraquita Bay Crown lands that were subdivided and given to persons for farming purposes “have been transformed into living quarters in some instances”.
Opposition Leader Julian Fraser highlighted this concern when the Director of Agriculture & Fisheries, Theodore James appeared before the SFC recently.
The legislator stressed that something must be done about the matter. So while responding the concerns, James indicated that expatriates are the persons believed to be living on these designated farm lands.
According to an excerpt from the 2023 SFC report that was drafted and released following these meetings, “the Director stated that from his perspective, there were buildings that were approved to be built and were later destroyed. He stated that persons have sheds on the [Paraquita Bay] lots. The notion is that there are a lot of non-local[s] who took up residence however, locals are allowing persons to occupy the land.”
James also underscored that Crown land is a matter for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour. He stated that his role as Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is to ‘recommend as well as to inform’ but he has no authority as it pertains to land.
Based on the records of the 2023 SFC report, the subject was changed thereafter and no clear solution was outlined for the issue raised.
The Standing Finance Committee comprises the territory’s legislators who meet with all government departments and statutory bodies annually to examine their operations for the year in review.
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They sickening with it…an we as young farmer who looking land space to farmer can’t even get a lot to farm on
WOW! THIS IS BEGINNING TO SOUND LIKE NOBODY IS IN CHARGE OF THIS COUNTRY AND ITS RUNNINGS
Next thing they will be given belonger status
Everybody doing what they want in this place….No standards at all.
and deport um!
Of course blame the expats when I’m sure they are not on the lands for free. The locals collect the money for nothing, pays government nothing and the expat gets the s**t. Happy days!
Which bvislander could go any where in the caribbean and take up residence on their farm land?
Not one non-belonger have land up Pari. It is your own greedy local people who build the shanty them and rent them out for the price of gold.
Check the contractors forcing their employees to live in one room fire trap shacks and dormitory containers.without proper plumbing and sanitation…disgusting they get away with it and charging them rent to boot.
If you guys read properly it was stated that locals have these other persons on the lands. However, it is the said Ministry who needs to deal with the matter and not Dept of Agriculture.
Nobody is blaming expats. The sad reality is that expats will be the one to be thrown out of the lots and also the locals may lose their spot for farming.
whether expat or local, nobody supposed to be living on the farm land. It is for farming, you all sound as though if it was locals living on the land it would be ok, well its not!!!! Use the land for the right purpose!
It look like some of you all are dying for opportunities to jump on expats back, but you all should know that the expats are not qualified to get land from the government. No one is making mention of locals who acquire the lands from government and are leasing it underhand to the expats. Those who are blogging really don’t understand, but there are people in authority who know exactly what is going on. Some people just looking for things to talk to get votes…..
And the COI MISSED THIS.
If the Director is honest one local has built a concrete structure , a next local has left his marriage spouse and resides in a room there and the list can go on but again expatriates are always the scapegoat
The Director is full of fancy talks and no actions . It is a shame how everyone keeps pointing fingers instead of looking for solutions to the problems
is that one of the place in the picture that they are living in? if a man can in that then no on can judge him. he not stealing or robbing
Some of you just like talk about island people of which they are much better off than you who born here stop studying we and try and make something better for you n your family if ever that we go back home to where we belong we still going to have a life and you and the other who feels that you are better that us still going to be the very same no life person who you’re
The director does not have the power to do anything, if he sees building going up there , he is to investigate and talk with the ministry.Five years and he said nothing, now the report to the standing Order is that some expat lives there. How many houses , apartment buildings and businesses are there?It is really silly how some people go to work do the minimum and be satisfied.
There is no mention of water, support for the livestock farm, no training for the young farmers and not one meeting with the farmers from the ministry. No matter, how the farmers beg for help,it falls on deafening ears.
I am watching to see what would be planted on that ground they recently plowed next to the agri office. Last year they did the same thing nothing was planted.if you all think this game will play out the same again you got another thing coming.
We need people who are passionate about farming. People need to have local food for their health, and not something grow in water that is refer to as vegetables.
Yet another free-for-all. Who is running this country? The dog or the tail?
I wonder if this madness will ever stop.
It quite normal for farmers to provide boarding for farm hands. Well, everywhere else except for the BVI obviously. It prevents crops from being destroy or thieved before being harvested. Who cares if it’s locals or legal worker permit holder farm hands! Good Lord people!
The expats are farm workers performing after hours guard duties to protect locals from raiding the farm.
Just say people..It doesn’t matter who is doing it. If it’s wrong it’s wrong..
Is not farming and nefarious activity with a sad neglected permanently chained dog. Clearly neither agriculture nor the ministry are bothered.
I as a BVI islander am fed up of us discriminating against expats. Don’t take me wrong if an expats is doing something wrong they should be corrected, punished or deported depending on the situation. But then they are a lot of expats that not only want to live in peace but they want to live in harmony amoungs the few BVI persons that are here, a lot of them wanting to make the BVI their home.
My view is this, look at the situation, it is obvious to me that the land owners, BVIslanders, know and possibly profiting from the persons residing in these huts or they are allowing them to stay there in exchange for them working on the farms so that they can pay them less. It may have gotten out of hand with the conditions they are given but maybe it just needs to be cleared up so that everyone can understand it.
But the pointing of the fingers need to stop cause as it does have bad expats leading Locals to do wrong, it also has bad locals leading expats to do wrong. Driving a wedge between the two groups is not the answer cause in my eyes we have no way of survival without them. Parents guide your children to educate themselves for these positions instead of hating the expats for filling them cause we are the ones bringing them in to do it
Just let Charles run his country. This sh!t is embarrassing now. Strangers walk over you in your own land, the politicians buy them degrees. B.V.I will be unrecognizable in 5 years time.
Locals built shanty up on farm land and renting out to expats FOR YEARS! This is nothing new.
You will be farmed like the cattled if you try that in other caribbean countries.
Blame locals for that. Locals agree to every idea, whether its legal or not. Locals like to front too much and those its done for have no gratitude. The more you give the more they want.
A certain female farmer had a whole village with some pretty buildings renting at pari prior to the hurricanes. Then she gets on every talk show cursing government to provide water.
Since you and others know this come forward stop pointing fingers. Expats are farming on farm that locals has…
Just take a look at the agriculture staff has farm up there as….thing to talk, there is more conflict of interest with agriculture staff….
if you know who’s home and getting full pay and the director needs to be fired along with the rest…minister of agriculture please look into it.
…2023 we need change with staff up there coming and leaving as they please. I know this and see it majority of the time.
Well it has honest workers..don’t talk about the port gentleman working his butt off with no office space that he has to be home and come down when a boat comes in to clear…his helper always late 10am rolling to a job thatbis 8:30am to 4:30pm at port and it’s like she’s a boss….government need to train trainees these young people only get in for a paycheck.
I can go on and on because I work port a see the behavior and it’s best to get train them.
This is BS. It’s the locals giving them the permission to live there.
Call a spade a spade stop the nonsense of blaming the expats.
Its a shame how expat build this place,do all the dirty work which Native refuse to do.
Jesus Christ,stop stop stop blaming expat.i love them,they there for me more than my family.
My education in not from here.
But guess what i am here with what i gain abroad.