Pressure forced gov’t to give stimulus $$ directly to residents
Overwhelming pressure from businesses forced the government into giving persons monies directly in their hand from stimulus grants it distributed last year.
This is according to Premier Andrew Fahie who made the disclosure when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recently.
The Premier told the COI that business owners did not want to take Purchase Orders from the government, especially in a situation of crisis as existed at the onset of the pandemic. He said this was because it usually takes a long time to get paid even outside of a crisis.
The government’s grant from the Social Security Board, Premier Fahie told the COI, was only $22.5 million and not $40 million as was indicated in some quarters.
Fast escalation
The Premier told the commission that although the process of disbursements proceeded in a conventional manner at first — where funds were approved before being paid to suppliers — things changed after events began to escalate quickly.
He explained that this included a series of lockdowns imposed on residents and situations where fishermen could no longer fish as they normally would since the borders were being patrolled in a strict manner at the time.
The move, the COI heard, meant a shift in policy that essentially reconfigured the way government did business with individuals, but ultimately raised serious questions about accountability in the process.
“So, in the crisis, they preferred it, that is why we were forced by businesses telling us it’s best you give the money to the people, let them wait on your cheque and then come to us,” the Premier said.
According to the Premier, suppliers were saying they did not want to have a series of Purchase Orders and and not be able to receive their money until months down the road, especially given that their employees would still be seeking to be paid.
He added: “So, the pressures from businesses is what drove that policy shift to get it into the person’s hands.”
“To save all of this, the Government had to pivot to decide to get a direct adrenaline boost, a shot in the arm to wake back up the economy,” the Premier stated.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
need to be in Hollywood n/ sounds like another episode of whats next
Is Foy mentally ill? His defences get more and more unbelievable. You just know he’s been sitting with his (our) legal team, trying to think up excuses for everything.
Also, what difference does it make to fishermen if the country’s borders are patrolled? Is he saying the fishermen are all criminals who ignore immigration law?
I have a stripper friend who says she want to thank Andrew for stuffing a bag full of cash and coke and dropping it off at her “farm” a while back. It really helped but was entirely unexpected since all she did was mention she voted for him and that she had loves bananas and table tennis balls.
He da man!
So this is the reasoning for why certain funds went missing. You paid out cash so no trace of the payment will exist.
Its far easier to take a kick back when there is no paper trail left behind , they knew full well what they was doing
“FORCED” my ringpeice
Idiot they didn’t mean literal cash.
They said cash, they mean cash. What else is cash if it isn’t cash? Fish?
Is from another decade; definitely before Sept. 2017. How about a photo of RT from this decade!
Giving peoe their Tax return as Stimulus in their hands were the best wY to go…All it needed were rules, fairness and a proper enforced process….To give businesses directly would have been a total disaster,.The problem isn’t who got the money, its a fair distribution base on set criterias without compromised..
More lies again?
Albert you’re the best. You are really defending the procedure you used to disburse the stimulus money? You gave some people between $9,000-$13,000 who have never even thrown a fishing line in their lives, and you are defending that? Some disbursements of these amounts were to multiple nonagricultural and non Fisher folks. Some households of your cronies got even more. Say like $33,000? Who do you pray to when you say those prayers before you start lying? Even the devil get tired of wickedness, so he will soon drop you.lmao.
To lazy to do the paperwork and didn’t want to leave a paper trail and it’s not their money ! Business as usual
What crock of s…
From the Barry family farm
Looks like BVI got a S**ko for a Premier.
This is hilarious “Sir the dog ate my homework”. This will be moving swiftly to trial.
lol.
yeah fahie try your best
This is who you have running the island.
Since when anybody from the general public could tell the Premier what and when or how to proceed with any governmental affairs especially when it involves money spending?
All I have to say is fix it Jesus..fix it
Worst Than The Jamaica ?? Colt Master.Whats next Scarficing more people in the Country.People becareful of Wicked People in High Places G J Said I Approved my Message..