Premier signing East End sewerage contract days before election
With just days remaining before the April 24 general election, Premier Dr Natalio has moved to sign a contract to repair the sewerage treatment facilities in his constituency of the Seventh Electoral District.
He announced his intentions to have the contracts signed while speaking on ZBVI Radio this week.
“We tendered for the repair of the sewerage treatment plant at Paraquita Bay and the sewerage pumping station at Long Swamp. And last week in Cabinet, we awarded tenders for that pumping station and for that sewerage treatment plant and we should sign those contracts by the end of the week,” Dr Wheatley stated.
“We completed the main pipe from Long Swamp to Paraquita Bay and we have completed most of the gravity lines which come from people’s homes. When we hook up those gravity lines to the pumping station at Long Swamp and when we repair that sewerage treatment plant at Paraquiita Bay we will be ready to go … People of the Seventh District, your liberation is at hand from the sewerage woes that we suffered from for many decades,” he added.
$8M clash
The Premier further said these longstanding sewerage issues could have been addressed a long time ago if the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) administration had not taken the $8 million that was allocated for sewerage repairs in East End/Long and diverted it to the Tortola Pier Park back in the 2015/2016 financial year.
But while responding to those accusations, NDP Chairman and Eighth District Representative, Marlon Penn clapped back stating that the Premier and his Virgin Islands Party (VIP) were seeking to deceive the public with that rhetoric. Penn argued that $6.5 million of the eight million has been returned from the Pier Park and an additional $5 million was allocated to address the community’s sewerage issues.
“They (the VIP) have over $6.5 million from Pier Park, over $5 million through the CDB loan money and to date they spent zero dollars in our community on sewerage and have the nerve to talk to you about $8 million. They need to go sit down… They are unfit to lead this community and to lead this country,” Penn stated.
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No contracts should be allowed to be signed days before an election, pure craziness.
Just in time for elections. Doesn’t he realize the the Gov is watching very closely. DUH, guess not
Here we go again, this should not be allowed at the 11th hour from the smoke and mirrors premier
Marlon is a disgrace. When NDP was in power for 8yrs he took the $8mill allocated to fix the sewage in the east and put it in the Pier Park multimillion dollar overpriced project and left his people in the east swimming & walking in filth. He needs to be removed from office as the blood of the people are on your hands. Now he is trying to explain his inactions with more nonsense.
when will they get the landlords to fix leaking ones on their properties??
Marlon know what the vip as but he didn’t know when his ndp took the 8 mil to pier park he needs to shut up
The project that has no end. What year are we in working on this??? Don’t get me wrong St Thomas had their 8 year project by Havensite but even they would shy away from a 22 plus year cash cow…..
Let’s hope this is not another mistake or accident.
Can you beat a thing like this!!! Natalio thinks people don’t know that the majority of that money was paid back to Government years now, and he is only now addressing the issue of the sewerage in East End. He is shameful and disgusting. He needs to stop trying to mislead the people of this country.
BECAUSE HE FULL WELL KNOW THAT AINT GOT NO MONEY FOR THAT
Well he did say a contract was coming in in one of his rally last month, so I guess he is a man to his words.
ITS BOTH OF THEM , THESE WANNABE ARISTOCRATS USING SOME FANCY WORDS WHEN THEIR CLANDISTINE ACTIVITIES GETS EXPOSED ?
Same old stupid NDP VIP nonsense. Sign up big contracts just before election to lumber the next Gov with their cronies and favourites. This is continued bad faith politics that the COI clearly brought to light. Hope you never get near public money again.
Who will be getting that lucrative 11th hour contract? Friends or Family?
That have our tax dollars being used to repair the roads that are damaged from their free flowing sewerage!
Every time I pass these houses I put down my window and point out loudly, to no one in particular, how nasty these people are to have their sh!t running in the streets. They have no shame!
I would continue posting this until ACTION AND LAWS ARE PASSED BECAUSE THIS INCONSIDERATE BEHAVIOUR HAS TO STOP!!!!!!!!
FOR YEARS EVEN AFTER IRMA AND DURING COVID ALMOST EVERY DAY IF NOT EVERY DAY SOMEONE IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT SOMEWHERE FROM THE SHABAZZ JUICE STAND DOWNWARDS TO HUNTUMS GHUT IS BURNING BUSH OR WHATEVER ELSE IT IS AT TIMES AFTER 6AM AND THROUGHOUT ANY GIVEN DAY INCLUDING SUNDAY.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!
GOVERNMENT DEAL WITH THIS NOW!!! THE LAWLESSNESS HAS TO STOP!!!!
Time to start reading 6.5 million was paid back to government by pier park
CSC please stop it, just stop it please. You are just a polical junky. It was NDP, then VIP and now PVIM. What’s wrong with you. That’s why you are always getting yourself into all kind trouble. For God’s sake, go and do the master’s work nah!!
The RDA is a first class project management team who have demonstrated an ability to deliver on time and at the right price. Why weren’t they involved in this project – no doubt because it was given to a ‘friend’ and does not give the value for money that the aRDA would have insisted on.
honest mistake
#notonegreenvote
Correct me if I am wrong but I thought this project stalled,because the NDP could not secure the land for the pumping station..
The said small piece of “land” was owned by VIP supporters with barges ? Hmmm.
Where’s the specification/contract for this project? Shouldn’t that be available to the public since it’s tax payer money.
The assertion that “ your liberation is at hand from the sewerage woes that we suffered from for many decades” presupposes the job is properly completed and the sewerage plant is actually operating in the manner designed. When was the last time any public works project in the Territory was properly completeted and operational?
More corruption and they never pais us our $2 million on Pier Park Design which was estimated at $49 million not the $87 million spent. Who got my 20% of the project? Ministers or BVI Investment Club! So sorry for the people in BVI, but they voted these guys in office.
The last kickback? For his retirement ?
Iam sure this project was in the pipeline for sometime now. There is major road project that is going to take place from Paraquita Bay to Long Swamp. clearly this sewage thing has to be done before this road project happens. Buy the way,not because the house is dissolved, means nothing gets done. Ministers and Ministries are working up to election day even if the get fired the next day. this how government works.
Your $50mil project would have blown away during Irma because it was going to be cheaply built hence the price.
@Cato, if this young man hand gone ahead as soon as he assumed office to award this project, the same public would have cried foul. He decided to see the entire country as his constituency and pushed for other projects which are more urgent in nature, but we are now crying for his head, what a wild-wild world.
I tried to respond to Vincent saying he give up his ministry post to let the coalition Govt. Work.Thats a lie.Carvin cross the floor because he said the coalition Govt.was no good,he tried to remove the slow man from being party leader.As a former vip supporter pls.people do the right thing not another four years.The yellow refuse to accept my comments but come monday no obeah can save you
This is not good. Anyway. He will still end up on the opposition bench. Hope the new Govt don’t and won’t honour this non ethical contract..
Anyone noticed he did not say who he is signing the contract with? Where are the usual pictures of the contract signing and the announcement of the winning bidder? People wake up! Please wake up!
How much contract ayo going sign for East End sewage, I born and raise in East End, still live there, 46 years and ayo still signing contract, just get it right nuh.
He knows he won’t be voted back in. Doing what he can to fill his pockets.
I learnt that if you call the Fire Dept for those inconsiderate asses, they will come put that fire OUT. Try it next time they light up with the nonsense.
Doing the same thing that they chastised ndp for.
That’s not their business. Move from the leaking apartment.
Right. Most of the money was paid back to Government and the VIP spent it elsewhere. Natalio, please tell the citizens of this country the truty.
Are you referring to urgent and important projects such as Jose Hill Manor? They have been completed for some time, bank loans approved, and Who lives there again? Or are you referring to the Market Square where you will get drenched if you stop and rain suddenly starts falling or where the sun is damaging the vendor’s goods due to lack of shade?
What could be more important than fixing a SEWERAGE issue?
Work is still being done. Do you know what it takes to get a W&S contract approved? if he wanted it to be done before the election to ensure it gets done. He did his part.
Agree, contracts should be made on sound financial principles not politics. Is this why we have so many contract issues?