Point system being used to determine how much $$ each business gets from gov’t grants
Karia Christopher
A point system will be used to determine the amount of money issued to small and medium-sized businesses that are successful in their application for government’s COVID-19 stimulus grant.
According to Director of Trade, Karia Christopher, each application form will have graded questions that will precisely categorise an applicant.
“There is a number assigned to basically most of the questions and there is a rank. So you can get from one to three points depending on the question. Also, we ask you questions like expenses, and overheads and things like that, so that goes into the application process as well,” Christopher explained.
“It is ranked literally blindly so I don’t know that Lizette is Dance/Music category versus Karah that’s Realtor. We don’t know who we are ranking so that it is very fair and very seamless,” she added.
Scoring criteria
In further explaining the system, consultant in the Premier’s Office, Patlian Johnson said applicants will be given a range of options to select their revenue stream.
“One of the most important criteria that we will be utilising is the information on the financial impact of your business. Specifically, the questions that relate to how your business was performing prior to COVID-19 in terms of your revenue and your expenditure and how your business is performing during COVID-19,” she explained.
Trade to do checks on claims to prevent fraud
Meanwhile Director Christopher said her department will be investigating all claims made on applications to eliminate attempts to defraud the government.
“This is why Trade has to go through the expenses so that we can validate your expenses. So if you submitted something to us and say that you owe Company X $8,000, I promise you we will call, we will quote that invoice number, we will quote that statement number … Once that is verified, that goes into the pile,” she said.
All expenses will not be covered!
Christopher further cautioned businesses not to expect that all of their expenses will be covered through the grant initiative.
“If you owe $20,000 in expenses, please know $6.5 million is a finite number, we perhaps will not be able to pay all of your expenses. We want to make sure that your expectations are met and not way up here. There are so many applicants and we don’t expect we will be able to cover every person’s full expenses,” she added.
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Big turn off…Too much doggone red tape
I better off begging a friend for loan
what is she talking about now? So I use all my savings to pay all my bills in excess of $50,000 and leave myself very little so I won’t get a grant as my bills are paid even though I have lost revenue of $500,000 due to the borders being closed and have earned $0.00 since March 20th. This thing a joke just like the payments from IRMA
Every day a new requirement! Unbelievable! When it’s “ the needy and not the greedy “ now it’s defrauding the Government. Why don’t you all stop insulting people and start helping. After all the Government is the one who KILLED the economy.
It is good yhat the government is giving out some chsnge what people expect the government to do give some people a million dallors and some only get five dallors if bvi people was facing such problems in other caribbean countrues would they have given BVI landers any kind of money people take what you get and move the Government is not responsible for how you run your businee and manage your money st thomaas is not handing out no kind og money except to local business owners too greedy
This should all be based upon the amount of tax that a company paid not some bulls**t numbers they are going to create. Doesn’t matter anyway. Please post a picture of the check you never receive. Post it with the one you received after Irma.
# 1 Requirement – Have an island big family name. all others no need to apply
We really can’t go on any further without assistance. Please put tourism on the frontline. We are really struggling to stay in business.
This sounds like pure confusion!!!
How will the figures be verified? If you are saying all of the numbers will be perused in real detail then nobody will get monies until 2021.
It’s simple. Points will be awarded best on your support for the VIP party.
things that make you go hmmmmm
Sounds like a good idea. Not every business was doing good before Covid. They may use the pandemic as an excuse as to why they wasn’t doing well and try to capitalize on the relief grants.
In simpler terms for all… You ain’t getting this money or any other help from the government.
Grab your ankles and kiss your A$ $ goodbye
As far as i am concerned these people are trying real hard to make this process as complicated as possible, for no reason. this is no longer a stimulus it now an exercise in futility, i think it is time for the Government to make some personnel changes and get people who understand business to deal with this matter, instead of every week a different hurdle.