Skelton rebuts Premier! Says BVI economy is in a slump
Opposition leader Ronnie Skelton has rebutted the Premier’s argument that the BVI’s economy isn’t in a slump, saying the territory’s leader would have had a different point of view if he were a business owner.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley recently gave a positive outlook on the BVI’s state of affairs after he was asked about his plans to address the slump in the economy.
But earlier this week, Skelton said his interactions with business owners and his own experiences as a businessman, prove that the BVI is experiencing an economic downturn, contrary to the Premier’s belief.
“I don’t know if the Premier is running a candy shop or business in any place but if he is, that statement (about the economy) isn’t true,” Skelton said at a press conference hosted by Opposition members this week.
He continued: “I have another life besides being an elected official. I run a family business. The numbers are telling me that something is wrong so I don’t need to guess about it. Go out there and talk to the business people — up to yesterday one asked me, ‘Ronnie, what are you guys going to do about the economy?’ I have mentioned that the government has to jumpstart the economy.”
Skelton explained that by “jumpstart” he means the government has to borrow the capital needed to fix infrastructure, including roads, airports and other facilities that will create more jobs locally. While those developments are happening, Skelton said the government should then go and attract foreign investment and encourage local investment to improve the economy.
“They have to spend the time to get it done. No one expects the Premier himself to go and do it. Yes, he comes in on a white horse to sign off on what needs to be done. But he needs a team of people to get these things done,” Skelton added.
All members of the Opposition who were present at the press conference this week, bemoaned the burdens of residents and businesses as a result of reported inactions the government is taking.
However, Premier Wheatley has maintained that businesses are doing well and added that visitor arrivals are headed for a record year.
Despite the debate, there are no official numbers to show the true state of the BVI economy as that kind of information isn’t published on a regular basis in the BVI. The budget speech – set for the end of the year – will give an idea of how the economy has performed and will give an indication of the government’s plans to improve the territory.
Still, many maintain that those figures don’t reflect the hardships being faced by many residents who are finding it more and more difficult to afford life in the BVI.
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Is saying )> let me update you on the reality on what is happening in our country , in case you have selective amnesia / WE SLIPPING
I thought outsiders would be blamed for the slump in the economy.
Please do not allow them to dictate the situation in the BVI
But wait —- his wife is an outsider.
Maybe your numbers tell you that you are not running your business as well as you think.
I don’t like Ronnie but what he is saying is right I still would not vote for him. But he right camel face needs to go home and camel face u know me I want to dis u what I c u again
Reshuffle some of the Permanent Secretaries and heads of departments within the government departments and ministries in the Government. Some of these folks running these ministries and departments have no clue on how to develop money making policies or programs. Some are so comfortable making their ‘Govt’ check that they have no empathy or sympathy for the small, medium business or average individual on the street who is not making a government check. In some cases some are not even qualified or experienced for the job they are assigned.
IS HIS WIFE FRO M THE UK ? BECAUSE THE UK IS BEING USED AS SCAPEGOATS WHEN THEIR INCOMPETENCE IS EXPOSED / ITS ABOUT THE MESSAGE AND THE PEOPLE’S AND COUNTRY’S BEST INTEREST ■ NOT THE MESSENGER , ( YOUR VENDETTA IS BETWEEN BOTH OF YOU )
Seems more like a steady depression that deepens every month since Irma.
The CoI reformed some bits of the public sector but the private sector is in a downward spiral.
Who the hell asked if you like him or not? This is my problem with you fools. You start a conversation with whether you like the person or not. Pure idiocy!
Now to jump to the meet of the matter. What Ronnie is saying we already know and don’t need him to tell us because we can see, feel, smell, touch, hear all what is going on in this community. What we need to do is stop electing people to tell us what we already know and put leaders in place who can put alternative options and opportunities in place for a struggling community.
Ronnie said he runs a business but you never hear that his business give back to the community. Myron and a set of others in the same boat. They suck the living hell out the government and many of them get their mortgage payed from government renting from them.
My take is if you need to have the ministry to make something happen and you can’t do something from the opposition that is innovative and includes the private sector but just talk crap what we already know, you don’t need to be in office. You playing mind games with the people. That crap have to stop.
If you don’t want to work with the government and say you shadowing them, bring another option to the table and tackle it from your strongest arm. That is what you call a real leaders, not talk, talk, talk, talk crap all day to accomplish nothing.
All these politicians are blind and speak from their ivory towers. What idea do they have to raise the economy between opposition and sitting administration? Nothing, just schemes to tax the hell out of those that have the guts to start their own business or show initiative to get this going.
Can any one tell me: what is the purpose of Trade Department? Yet, all we have a tired 70 yr old wasting money and time. She need to go home and take a nap
The biggest issue with the economy is Immigration and labour stifling business expansion by sitting on work permits for months. We need more employees now and have been waiting for a permit since June! Yes, we’ve tried to find qualified locals, but we need specific skill sets and haven’t found any who want to work with them.
The pleasure marine side is fully booked for season and all the suppliers to it have full books of work, just can’t get work permits!!
The economy is in the F**KING DUMP, what slump? The Lucky 13 will get their salaries and allowances come rain or snow so they do not give a f**k!
The premier/minister of finance will never admit that the economy is crap…. It’s always robust in their opinion no matter how bad things are. dr. smith was the same thing.
Hire locals then! bout just cant get work permits… sturpss!
Please give it a rest already. Jeez, outsider or no, would she not also have to live here and share the same experience?
gawd, people like you make me sick man.
If you’re real your industry needs to work on your pipeline. Get some young people and commit to training and upward mobility. Make them your next qualified employees. In my industry (high tech) as a group, it’s partnering at the high school level to get youth ready for entry level positions at HS graduation. Train in house and encourage continuing education. While partnering at the high school level industry is also supporting K12 to foment interest in the career path.
This Ronnie is not the same Ronnie I voted for.
Dr Smith never had a say in the ndp it was in charge all the time he use Dr Smith to win when he could not have his way he drop out and form a next party that party will never be Government
I keep telling ayo that Ronnie’s interest is what he looks out for. Waste of vote and the man is not fit for opposition leader. Myron is the man 1000%.
Unno don’t like Ronnie because he is way out of your league. Unno can’t buy him neither can Unno sell him. Pure Jealousy, Bomba Claat.
His wife is shadow the old ras who sells fruit by the water front i know them all well
UK, i am sure, given those established rights, you know that no nation can arbitrarily go in and take over any country, regardless of a colonial connection to it.
The colonial era was a time when those nations with superior military and maritime resources and power went around the world fighting other nations, defeating them, taking and claiming lands for themselves.
This is how these territories became under their reign of England. No sales, no buying no receipts were the practice of the day. Just warring, killing, louting, exterminating, the Black Holocaust and other crimes against humanity.
The call for UK to come and take over to save the save the people of the BVI from themselves is as ludicrous a call as ever been made in modern times. Only one who wants to resources and wealth for self and those of his ilk, who are not Black, would be writing such piss on public commentary.
The people living here have centuries of rights to be and remain here undisturbed by UK infiltration and take over.
Pay the people what they are owed, which are in the trillions of dollars. Then, hive them a passage to Africa, but then buy them land, build them homes. After that, then and only under those circumstances shall any person open his her mouth about UK take over.
The people of the Virgin Islands have personal, economic, and all other human rights to be here and to these islands. More so than any other entity today.
Really silly comments. The low intelligence of this territory is showing.
So who are in thr leading positions that have it in a slump ?
The high school students?
The unemployed young men smoking on the block?
The retirees?
The minimum workers overworked and underpaid
The scores of young BVI landers who drop out of High School ?
The workforce of the expatriate professionals allowed into the country
Do and your Ministry do your job
If you are serious about growing the economy think out of your stupid box. Get serious about farming, invest as a start at least 25M$. 1 Get rid of all the incompetent persons in that area and replace them with proven experts or great achievers to train and create an agricultural bastion to feed the territory and its neighbours. 2. Select the best 200 acres of land for food crop and animal husbandry.