Some people experiencing heartbreaking hunger
Junior Minister for Financial Services and Economic Development, Lorna Smith has again highlighted the need for a hike in the minimum wage, stating that there are residents who cannot afford meals and are experiencing hunger in the society.
“It is not an easy one (the minimum wage decision) but people have to eat,” Smith told the Talking Points radio show recently. “I was at a meeting on the weekend and you may think we exaggerate when we say there are people in this country – children – who cannot afford to buy a meal. They are hungry, it is very real and heartbreaking.”
She continued: “We must find a way through our minimum wage and social protection policy to make sure that people are able to live in this country and buy basic food.”
Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley has promised that the minimum wage in the Virgin Islands will increase from $6 to $7.25 per hour starting in July.
He said the change will be implemented in phases, with a further increase planned “sometime in the future.”
While many are happy about the impending increase, others believe it is still below the living wage and doesn’t reflect the prices residents are subjected to daily. Some businesses are skeptical of the increase, as they feel their profit margins aren’t enough to support wage hikes.
In the meantime, Smith doubled down on the Premier’s promise that the government is working on naming a “basket of goods” that should remain at low prices because of their importance in everyday life.
“We can’t just have a basket of goods for foods and necessities, we also need a basket of goods for the construction industry because that is what we thrive on. That (baskets of goods) is being developed by my ministry and persons in business,” Smith explained.
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What is the role of social development in all this?
You may recall that Lorna and kye spoke out publicly against Kartel
Meh! Son Lorna you went with natalio Wheatley to help celebrate him wasting monies on parties and traveling and Vybz Kartel quarter million USD, how you going now turn around and say people are hungry in the BVI ? You fully well agreed to no infrastructure repairs under sowandie and you get you power position in government.
Will Corna Lady tackle the 1% who are inflating the prices that cause people to starve in these islands? Corna Lady has no courage to say anything to her boss, S!0wW@nde, and is herself an elitist. Waste of time. She need to go back in the corna
Lorna Lorna Lorna what should we do with you. You so care about the people eating but when you were the minister of labour you refuse to meet with them, ignore them, and belittle them. But because election would be right around the corner all of a sudden you so care about us.
Since you all so care, the public at large challenge all sitting members in government to live off the minimum wage for 6 months and come on social media and tell us your experience. I challenge Governor Pruce to oversee this process. Take away their vehicles allowances and travel during that period . Also if you all refuse this challenge maybe we need to get one of the international media like CNN Fox or BBC to come to the BVI to see the plight of the people in this country. How the people suffer while the politicians live like king and queens.
Don’t mind her, these people only care about one thing, and that is “Power”.
ALL 13 GOT their baskets filled with goods, so the minimum wage is not and was never
their priority. Just look at her, pretending like she cares. It all sounds good, just to make headlines on the news and in newspapers. But we know you don’t give one S*it about the people, only your family and your pocket.
WE ARE SICK OF THEM!!
While I understand this, why does government not help students with one or two healthy meals in school? THAT WOULD GREATLY HELP! You think by adding $2 or 1.50 to minimum wage would really help? What if parents do not even know how to budget properly! Also, that extra money will be going straight to NHI, Social and Inland Revenue. Give the benefit directly to the children in need and provide free meals in school! Making no sense Lorna in somebody else corner!
Didnt you, yourself thought about it getting to this when you single handedly suspended the Consumer Protection Bill for more than a Year? Didnt you think this situation now would have been the result of your selfish action? And here you are talking about People being Hungry? No Shame? GO AWAY!!!!
JUST DISAPPEAR!!!!
What did Lorna do for the benefit of BVIslanders when she was the minister of labour? Did she care that qualified BVIslanders were being overlooked for jobs? Did she ensure that BVIslanders had an opportunity to advance in the workplace by implementing policies? No, she had no problem with the vast number of work permits being granted and renewed (particularly those for entry level jobs). Now she could chat about heartbreaking hunger. PLEASE, you are an indirect cause of it. Only pandering to the poor and hungry looking votes. Look at her brother’s supermarket with a bunch of Filipinos in trainee cashier jobs. Is she seeing this?
A 5-year maximum needs to be placed on work permit renewals effective immediately to allow BVIslanders to enter and advance in the workforce. Employers must ensure that a BVIslander is understudying persons on work permits (it should be a condition for a work permit to be granted).
Any one notice ? How many eyebrows does she have ? FOUR one for each time she’s switched political parties