Unelected bureaucrats running the BVI — Julian Fraser
Third District Representative Julian Fraser has claimed that government employees in the various ministries are the persons who are truly running the country and not those in elected office, as it should be.
Fraser made the claim during a recent Opposition press briefing while protesting the non-removal of derelict vessels from the Sea Cows Bay Harbour located in the heart of his district.
“What we have been witnessing now and in the recent past is a situation where the Ministry of Finance – and I’m talking about the bureaucrats in the Ministry of Finance – are the ones who dictate and determine where funding goes,” Fraser complained.
“There was money in the budget for the removal of those vessels in Sea Cows Bay Harbour,” the Opposition Legislator told reporters.
“When we came to a budget sitting where they had the mini-budget where they did a shuffling of funds, they took the money away. The minister didn’t even know, but the Ministry of Finance, the bureaucrats in the Ministry of finance took the money to remove those vessels in the harbour and put it to do other things. Other things, I wouldn’t even mention what those other things are.
“So you go figure, who is running the country? Is it the people who were elected to run the country or is it the bureaucrats running the country?” he asked. “So those are the problems that we have.”
I’m speaking from experience
Fraser also claimed that the Ministry of Natural Resources, which is responsible for crown lands sold to residents, has not been fulfilling its responsibility of sub-dividing those lands and ensuring that necessary infrastructure is put in place for the plots of land.
“It’s a responsibility of the government to provide those infrastructure and today they’re not doing it and people’s properties are sitting there with bush, you go figure,” he said.
“I’m telling you from experience, I’m telling you because I’ve lived it. The monies that we have for our districts today, with a budget that’s over $420 million, is minuscule to what we had back in the day when the budget was $120 million,” Fraser said.
“We have all this money going towards rent, we have all this money going towards staffing, we have all this money going towards the establishment of a new department or a new statutory body or whatever and when they come to Standing Finance (Committee), there is absolutely nothing for us, for the ministries,“ he said.
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Lake, Sylvester, Cline and Chalwell to name a few
He tells it like it is, no beating around the bush, he calls a spade a spade
He moved all the money and put it under his arm like its Turu’s own.
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE TRUTH
Unfortunately the people we have elected over the last 20 years have not had the skills to run the country. To the VIP’s credit they realised they were out of their depth and employed experts??? to advise them. Unfortunately these experts cost a lot of money, and in most cases they have been even worse than the elected members.
The uneducated are the ones who built this country unfortunately it were the educated ones who messed it up.
I agree with Fraser vip ministers weak and not ready
Absolute lies. Only one reason the derelict boats are still everywhere: the politicians.
Things should improve when the UK takes over the Ministry of Finance.
He right! Once that Woman got in on those Boards, all H**l broke loose like the ? track.
to absolve himself and all elected representatives from blame. We need to get rid of these career politicians whose only concern is to keep their snouts in the trough.
Fraser has been complaining about this forever. He sounds like a super micro-manager. I wonder who does he look to for advice? Tell the whole story. Tell the people where the funds were diverted to. Inquiring minds want to know, smdh.
You are correct Bureaucrats are running amok. The amount of red tape here puts some Banana republics to shame.its all about little people having power. the civil servants work for the people, here in the BVI they work against the people. there is no work ethic and it seems their sole purpose is to put in road blocks and help streamline. it dosent help the country it hinders business and wastes enormous amounts of time.
England better hurry save the country from these arrogant people with no work ethics.