BVI News

Petty contract system being revised after coming under fire from UK

Premier and Minister of Finance Andrew Fahie said the BVI government’s petty contract system has come under heavy criticism from the United Kingdom (UK) and is, therefore, being revised.

In making the announcement in the House of Assembly recently, Premier Fahie said years of infringements were the root cause of the UK’s lack of confidence in the system.

“A lot of people ask this government, ‘what happened to the petty contracts system?’ The petty contract system came under fire from the United Kingdom. Everyone put pressure down because there was so many infractions,” the Premier said.

The ‘little man’ now suffers

A government petty contract is classified as being more than $10,000 but less than $100,000 and, therefore, does not require a public tender process.

As far as infractions go, some officials from previous administrations have been accused of circumventing the petty contract system by breaking up large contracts valued $100,000 or more into petty contracts.

Now that the UK has flagged the system and petty contracts have been halted, Premier Fahie said, “the little man [that] they say we (my administration) don’t care about [has] suffered as a result”.

Modernized petty contract system

He said the petty contract system is, therefore, being reassessed.

“We want to bring a new proposal up to the UK and [for] everyone to sit and discuss how we can have a modernized form of the petty contracts system in an accountable manner,” the Premier stated.

He continued: “We shouldn’t throw out something altogether because there were issues with it. Let us sit down and look at it in a modern way and make sure the legislation reflects it so we can bring this back up.”

He said a higher level of accountability will be required with the revised system.

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14 Comments

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  1. BuzzBvi says:

    Can we start by having all of the contracts in the last 20 years finished. Seems contracts getting paid and no one looks to see if the work done. BVI Airways happening everyday on a small level and nothing ever finished. No planes, no wall on ridge road, Georgie Hill (600,000) never finished now look at the mess, no sidewalks in East End, sewers?, maintenance anywhere? Who checks before the checks go out? mickey Mouse?

    Like 32
    • Hot says:

      What about the repeating $16,666.66 per month 6 month contracts issued to the Overspend – I have not heard about any report from Claude following those contracts.

      Like 14
  2. use your staff says:

    Most road work bush cutting clearing should ben done by Public Works if you need more staff employ them but stop giving out bush cutting contracts worth 100s of thousands of dollars.

    Like 28
  3. Ok I might not be that smart says:

    Hmm first of all they are a 100% right all the governments do is find ways to milk the system why is PWD for what is the use of solid waste.government need to givr the people work instead of paying public works workers and turn to give harry a contract to do what the system is paying for already. Theres a lot of simple corruption going on in the BVI and only the leaders are the ones to pass such

    Like 20
  4. Truth says:

    If this was used as it should it would have been a good way to provide work for those that need it. However, this petty contract thing is used to bypass the tenure process and benefit their supporters all while keeping this hidden

    Like 16
  5. Thank you UK says:

    from preventing total corruption of the BVI politicians and their petty contracts

    Like 12
    Dislike 3
    • @Thank you Uk says:

      “from preventing total corruption of the BVI politicians and their petty contracts” when you stop your total corruption in the the UK. The hypocricy of some people in assuming other people think they are so clean and godly.

  6. Tongue Fu says:

    Was CSC not given a 98 k consultancy contract? UK right to clamp down on it. You see this is why these guys want more financial autonomy so there will be no oversight. Like I said until there is freedom of information, more independent oversight, whistle blower protection laws and the like they should and will not get more financial autonomy.

    Like 23
    Dislike 1
  7. Diaspora says:

    The petty contract system is a streamlined, effective and efficient process for procuring small quantities of goods and services. It permits the ‘lil man’ the opportunity to participate in the procurement/acquisition process. However, with limited controls or unenforced controls, it is open for abuse, corruption……etc.

    The $100K petty contract limit is too high. A $25K limit should be set. The process should have different levels:
    1. Procurements equal to or less than $3K can be awarded on verbal bids; sources should be rotated;
    2. Procurements between $3K and $5K should require at least three verbal bids;
    3. Procurements above $5K should require at least 3 written quotes.

    The petty contract contract documents should be simplified and there should special provisions for sole source procurements. An audit of petty contract programme should be conducted at least every three years.

    Like 11
  8. Fast Forward From Irma says:

    Is it possible to talk without mentioning Color?, I am a person of African descent (African American African Caribbean). Does it or should it really matter?.
    Over the tears I have supported the VIP party; mainly because I thought of them as the party of the ordinary man. I had thought of them as more gradual with the development of the country. For example more ready to employ locals vs importing labour and more fare. However the same VIP recently Regularised some 1,500+ none nationals while Work Permits have become a “Revenue Stream”. Imagine that! Work permits as a revenue stream. What the heck is going on…and is it sustainable? For some time I have been thinking of politics as the great Equalizer; where everyone have an equal opportunity. Unfortunately that is not the case and is more about Party Supporters (example VIP supporters on all Statutory Boards) and in positions of opportunity; at the expense of every other Tax Payer.
    It isn’t surprising that the UK, several thousand miles away is becoming aware of the inequality and and Corruption being practiced in “Nature’s Little Secrets”.
    Walls that were supposed to be divided between two contractors were recalculated and awarded to one individual; (a CRONYMAN)
    While some are talking about SelfDetermination and the Removal of the proverbial UKs Knee off the necks of Bvi-slanders, I have been trying for more than a year to get an appointment with the premier on matters that matter or simply waiting my turn for a tiny slice of the so-called stimulus while some core supporters are sitting on 3 and 4 statutory boards while at the same time holding down their regular jobs. Just thinking of the idea of being beholding to fellow islanders whose foreparents were brought to the Virgin Islands on different ships sends shivers through my spine.

  9. Rubber Duck says:

    All in all it’s just another brick in the wall.

  10. Anonymous says:

    F**k all of this f**kries????

  11. This is not about the UK says:

    This is about the BS that’s happening in the BVI. Would you prefer corruption? Are the people gaining anything by it? Stop focusing on the wrong things. Focus on the issues at hand.

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