Still no assent for Whistleblower, Contractor General Acts — Premier
The Whistleblower and Contractor General Acts — two significant pieces of legislation passed in the House of Assembly several weeks ago — are still awaiting assent from Governor John Rankin.
The two Acts were championed as centrepieces of the government’s efforts to enact laws that enhance transparency and accountability.
And like all other bills, those two pieces of legislation must get the governor’s approval to become law. Premier Fahie highlighted Governor Rankin’s perceived inaction in granting assent while speaking on his governing party’s Let’s Talk radio show Tuesday evening.
But Governor Rankin foreshadowed a delay in assent weeks earlier when he told the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) in an invited statement, that the pieces of legislation were of questionable necessity.
Governor Rankin further said that, in their current form, “both these pieces of legislation would undermine or cut across the powers of the Auditor General, the Complaints Commissioner and indeed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).”
We were proud of the help we gave
Notwithstanding, the Premier reiterated that his government remains pleased with its accomplishments in passing legislation and helping the BVI. He said this sense of pride also extends his government’s decision to take millions from the Social Security Board to fund its COVID-19 economic stimulus initiative.
“We are proud that we were able to help the people of the Virgin Islands even with the $40 million that we can account for,” the Premier stated.
Fahie explained that his government was able to help private schools, taxi operators, traffic wardens, farmers, fisherfolk and a host of others with those monies.
He further said stimulus recipients were given letters with instructions to account for how the monies were spent. And according to the Premier, the accounting period has since started for the persons who received these funds from the government.
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May it never be passed in its current state.
This bill is not at all necessary, since it is used as a means to intimidate and silences the public while securing his improper spending of government funds. Andrew really thinks people are stupid and blind to his cor***tion, let him continue to line *** pockets, they too will soon be exposed.
the WB act needs to take out the despotic threat element, obviously. There will be processes and recourse for false allegations and vexatious or baseless claims.
This would be very useful in our liaison with the OECD FATF etc so we can show we are ahead of most large and small financial centres. If the incentives are there, people here and abroad can come forward with real information where there is crime or corruption, which may not involve business in the BVI, think Imelda Marcos, 1MDB, Trump, Jacob Zuma etc., and the BVI and that wb can be rewarded for doing the right thing, the BVI gets to demonstrate its leading the world in enforcement and the wb is protected.
It may be embarrassing for the British government as they do not have such a thing. The US regime has had successes.
So Mr. Premier, what going happen if people can’t account for the funds given and were they told exactly what they should use the funds for?
It would appear that this Premier is getting ready to pick a fight with the Governor. Anyone who don’t March to his beat is against the government.
IF AFTER ALL THAT THE ( C O I ) HAS REVEALED AND YOU STILL HERE POINTING FINGERS , THEN YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR EARS VACUMED AND YOUR EYES CHECKED OUT