There’s more to UK pulling funding from RDA than just an ‘expiry date’
Premier Andrew Fahie has stood his ground on his recent assertion that government’s amendments to the territory’s Recovery & Development Plan is the reason the UK is pulling its funding from the agency.
The Premier doubled down on his statement at a recent community meeting on Jost Van Dyke, where he revealed that there are other variables within the previously agreement that would have continued the funding from the UK government past the March expiration date.
“The plan was changed, which most of us learned inside the same Standing Finance, is the reason why they have said they would pull out now in terms of their funding because of the schedule. But the schedule was not only based on a time frame, it was based on certain deliverables also by the UK and that was based on the original plan they’re saying,” Fahie explained.
“But we didn’t sign – in terms of the country, I wasn’t the government then – on to a plan, they signed on to Recovery & Development Agency (RDA), it wasn’t attached to a plan,” he added.
The words came from the RDA not me
Premier Fahie also said his recent assertions did not originate with him, but was rather a regurgitation of what was said and confirmed by a member of the RDA.
“The RDA came in to justify their expenditure from the year before and their budget for the new year. They are the ones who testified on record, not me, that the UK informed the funding will be cut. I’m going to get those records because I saw someone come and said I’m not telling the truth,” the Premier stated.
“When I spoke, I wasn’t speaking from me. I was speaking from the record of the House of Assembly where the staff of RDA confirmed that. The staff from RDA stated correctly … that, because the recovery development plan that was done by the last administration was changed, their agreement was with that plan. When we came in, we did a revision of the plan,” he explained.
UK’s injection was solely towards operational costs
Fahie, who is also the Minister of Finance, further said that when his government came into office in February 2019, it was observed that the UK’s injection of funds into the agency up until that time was strictly towards operational costs and not projects.
He said: “I recognised that the UK did not give us any money for projects — that was not what the money was for. The money was for the running of the RDA office, not for projects. No money for projects was negotiated upon signing anything with the RDA. It was the money to help run the office. The local government was going to put in one section for operation and the UK were putting in a certain amount.”
The plan needed to be changed
The leader of government business added that the plan needed to be adjusted for the betterment and the future of the territory.
He said that under the agreed plan which was signed by the National Democratic Party, there were minimal opportunities for locals to prosper.
“Let me go deeper for you, we changed the plan and I would change it again if it needs to because the plan, in my opinion, mortgaged our future away from … [Based on] how the plan was structured, no local contractor was going to be involved much in this and the plan went beyond recovery and development. And it went beyond recovery and development for [Hurricane] Irma,” Fahie stated.
“RDA was set up at that time to help recover for Irma. If you’re going to have RDA doing all the things that were in that original plan, then you don’t need to go to the polls, you don’t need a government,” the Premier argued.
Bringing both documents to the public
In the meantime, the Premier promised residents that he will be returning to the public with a detailed report of both plans to bring the “truth” to residents.
He said by doing this, residents will be able to conclude for themselves which of the two plans are most beneficial to the territory.
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What’s this a positive article?!
They keep saying there is smoke coming from the UK deals. Seems that each deal has an extra agenda to it. Remember the talk about the 300 million loan for hurricane recovery. Three years after?! when the people no longer needed it.
It is sick that they use a disaster to put us on the hook years after beyond the immediate relief of emergency aid and volunteers that is basic human decency.
There is no agenda. This is doubling down after he got caught twisting the facts to his benefit. its gonna blow up in his face spectacularly.
However, seems it won’t matter to people like yourself.
Wait, I thought the Premier WANTED to be rid of the RDA. He called it a second government. What now?
Mommy Johnny won’t give me the toy to play with. But it’s Johnny’s toy. I don’t care. I want it. Make him give it to me or I’ll tell and scream and make your life miserable. Lmfao
PM full of it he think he can fool everybody,he wanted to control rda money now want all loose all . Joke on you hahahaha take all of if it back uk.
So what you mean is you failed to agree an extension … A little different to pulling funding, don’t you think?
Hon. Fahie you are not being truthful. The plan had nothing to do with who gets work. The plan was a comprehensive overview of the various things that needed to be done in keeping with the funding agreement with the UK. Regulations were supposed to be done which would deal with the issue of giving contracts and more. To date the regulations have not been done by your government. The things that you are talking about are not things that would be in a recovery and development plan. You need to stop taking the BVI people for fools. Stop all this untruth. You seem to have a serious problem with the truth. You seriously need help.
Notice the tap dance and backpedal maneuvers in the way he speaks. Noncommittal and plausible deniability are the name of the game. Blame others for something that didn’t happen – on his watch.
I’m reminded of a child being asked what happened and he responds “I dunno.” Sigh
But carry on.
Clearly you are one of gus bloggers. What everyone knows is that it was a good thing that this Premier did not signed to imprison us with that $400 million UK loan becaude with that and Covid we would have been at the mercy of the UK forever. Good job Premier and your team and we thank you for standing up for the people of the Virgin Islands.
The ignorance of bloggers is amazing! It was not a LOAN. It was a promise to back any loans govt could obtain. That govt chose not to accept this backing is the reason why the RDA plan collapsed, See todays announcement by the governor.
How much more foolish can you get. You need to understand the agreement. The agreement basically is that the UK will stand as guarantor for the LOANS just in case we default on payments, which will make it easier for the BIV to negotiate loans up to a total of $400 million in the international financial market. UK is not giving BVI any loan.
However, UK is saying in order for them to be guarantor then there are certain steps that must be put in place to ensure accountability for spending any money barrowed. Simple.
Then what’s the real issue whether the UK choose not to renew / extend arrangements? What if they choose not to provide funding?
Dont see your logics if you think the Premier did the right thing. Then again, the BVI is at the mercies of the UK until the time come when the BVI can be fully sustainable and independent.
The real truth finally came out. Funny how the smear campaign on our primere isn’t working. We love you and with you Hon. Fahie. Let the haters bask in their misery. Keep hating on Fahie. Go UK to you fools oppressers. You really think your oppressers have your best interest at heart…
@Truth our oppressors does not have our interest at heart, they are only concerned about themselves. Isn’t this clearly demonstrated by our government members and their cronies who appears to be significant beneficiaries?
Our own people are our oppressors!
What a load of foolish…… Makes no sense what so ever.
Isn’t that the point? The UK agreed to loan guarantee funding against Plan A and if Plan A gets changed afterwards the loan guarantee funding will not be provided.
If the plan was altered by the current government, isn’t this sufficient justification for the UK to withdraw?
The Premier has boasted of changing the plans, there is ongoing battle for power and control with the Governor, yet they want the UK to continue pumping their funds into the BVI. These guys need to make up their minds!
Are you 10?
He said, she said is a poor way to go about moving territory forward.
You are not ready to lead, that is very clear now.
So the expiration date explanation is null and void is what the Andrew trying to say?
I still dont understand what the changing on the plan have to do with with the fact that the contract is actually expiring and the funding ends because of that.
If they are not giving funding then they should be happy to be able to use their plan without any legal issues. But instead decide to use that reason to push thier independence agenda.
HMMMMM
Yawn…
More l**s and misdirection from our Premier
@To more untruths again, We are at the mercy of the UK, the UK is our mother country and this government need to understand that.
Am I having a stroke or did no sentence in that entire article make sense?
Oh my goodness.
thank you.
none!
Andrew Fahie the UK needs to shut you up once and for all. You start out the week complaining about the UK and you end it the same way.
I have never seen so much complaining and disrespect from any other government in the BVI.
Just like Trump, you will go down as a one-time Premier and the worse Premier in our mistrial government.
You tell so many l**s that you don’t know the truth when it steering you in your face.
Who is going to come to your aid if you were to get independence? The UK needs to take over the running of the government for the good of the people.
Why this man continue to raise no-issue with the UK. The contract is expiring, I hear nothing about him trying to get an extension on the funding but he is raising h**l about the fact that funding will be stop.
You really don’t know when to stop right? The people would be less angry if you simply just issue a PSA ADMITTING THAT YOU OK, MADE A MISTAKE. THE SUGER COATING OR PUTTING A BANDAGE ON THE CUT IS NOT WORKING NOR WILL IT WORK. YOUR POPULARITY IS AT A ALL TIME LOW BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT. I WOULD RATE YOUR PERFORMANCE LEVEL AS 2 OUT OF 10.
INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY
Enough already!! Please can you just get on with rebuilding the country?!!! The amount of energy you are expending with these you could be doing something truly constructive to improve the country. One thing will do!!! But this is enough already!
No right to do what you and your cronies are doing to this country. It’s not your money Andrew. It belongs to the people. Stop trying the steal it away. You are going down l**r.
Apart from the fact that our Minister of Finance has such risible grasp of guarantees, this latest attack on the RDA/UK is part of a strategy by the Fahie kleptocracy to remain in power. Knowing that they are likely to be voted out, the ploy is to foment animosity against the UK by using a series of unhinged claims of racism, in order to get populist support behind an independence referendum, which they hope will allow them to remain in power indefinitely, with no oversight. This is a variation on the Trumpist attack on US democracy.
Ask Skelton !! See who is truly in charge !!Know your laws which governs you
I am not here to say whether the Premier is right or wrong.what I can say however is that he is going about it the wrong way. I believe he wants to do well. He means the country well. But in his quest to go where the other leaders have not gone before, in his haste to prove that he is a miracle worker he will end up being the worst Premier ever. He has to chose his battles carefully and less frequent. He might indeed go where no other leader has gone before. He might loose the government not by an election but by the owner of the territory sending her team to take over.there is glaring corruption and it is abounding. I think he needs to take a break. He has been saddled with a team of yes men and women. No good leader will survive with such a team. The team rode on his coat tail last election. That tail of popularity is not as popular as before. Can they or will they try to hold onto an unpopular leader going forward. If they are to survive next election they have to break ranks with him now, or appear for survival sake to break. This world class calypso by gypsy comes to mind. Captain the ship is sinking. Captain the seas are rough. Should I abandon ship or should I stay on it. Their survival depends on whether they stay and sink or abandoned and look for a safe harbor.