Virgin Islanders in business don’t give back enough
Talk show host Cindy Rosan has posited that businesses owned by Virgin Islanders aren’t doing enough philanthropic activities to improve the community.
Rosan also rebuffed claims that times are tough, saying the culture persisted long before the territory started experiencing hard times.
“A lot of businesses have made it on the backs of government and Virgin Islanders and we don’t give back. Private entities should work with government, that’s very important to the success of any country. But when we see others — for example, Unite VI — get up and rebuild Althea Scatliffe, I saw some Virgin Islanders asking what’s in it for them,” Rosan stated on the Morning Ride radio show this week.
She also rejected claims that some businesses give back without publicising their good deeds. She highlighted the Rotary Club as one organization with a robust philanthropic engine, adding that they only get funds when they campaign for donations.
“When we talk about giving back we’re talking about the millions you’ve made and you won’t even fix a school, adopt a park — you don’t do anything. Rotary does the bus stops and they do that by raising money. We tend to feel like others come here and make money so they need to give back, but we are making money too, we ought to give back, we ought to build this territory,” Rosan added.
The BVI economy is known for its business sector, which comprises many small and large-scale businesses owned by Virgin Islanders. In recent times, there have been calls for more support for small businesses as many are said to have fallen on hard times, especially with the impact of COVID-19 and the global inflationary conditions that followed.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Should the government setup a framework to make this possible? Not making escuses but if it was made easier to do maybe there will be more success? Just saying….
What other countries do is incentivize charitable donations by offering tax exemptions/reductions for doing these things. This is the real world it always have to make sense financially. Sad to say but nobody not doing things just out of the goodness of their heart no more like that.
“She highlighted the Rotary Club as one organization with a robust philanthropic engine, adding that they only get funds when they campaign for donations.”
Just want to make the point that Rotary Club happens to be made up of “business people” so in a way there is a certain segment of the business community that gives back financially and of their time and labour.
Having said that, other small businesses do fund local charities or give of their time, services and money to selected entities and areas of interest. So we can’t just paint everyone with the same brush.
Not everyone publicizes their “good” deeds. In fact, I am certain that many who do so have either electoral ambitions in mind, or are seeking to get a favor done in return from the government. Who knows it, knows it.
Generally though, we should all pitch in, in ways big and small, to help improve our community. Be it as small as helping to clean up our communities from the trash and derelict cars and household items making our island an eyesore to residents and visitors alike. HINT, HINT.
Cindy, I like you, but how much do you give back?
Exactly my thing! What have you (Cindy) done instead of bashing everyone?
cindy just looking free money and sponsorship for her show but give back
What have you done Cindy? I saw you a few years back sitting in a popular restaurant, holding a meeting with another person and you didn’t spend a DIME the whole time. That business certainly has “given” enough.
Just not the business run by the right families.
What kind of welfare state we setting up in the BVI? This is crazy