We don’t want to sell our soul to borrow — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has insisted that the territory will not sell its proverbial soul in efforts to borrow money to fund new capital projects.
The Premier made that assertion after being questioned by reporters about his government’s intention to seek loans for future projects contrasted against a prior refusal by the previous Andrew Fahie-led government to accept a United Kingdom (UK) loan guarantee of some $426 million.
“The challenge that was had with the loan guarantee had to do with the conditions which [were] attached to the guarantee,” Premier Wheatley said. “I don’t think that when you have somebody who’s down, they’re devastated, they’ve been destroyed by hurricanes, you should be attaching some of the conditions that we attach to it.”
He added: “So yes, we want to borrow, but we don’t want to sell our soul, to borrow, and we don’t want to sell out the Virgin Islands to borrow.”
The territory’s leader said the people of the Virgin Islands can be guaranteed that when he makes an effort to borrow, it will not be ‘in exchange for the soul of the Virgin Islands’.
“We’re gonna borrow on terms which are fair,” he stated. “Of course, you borrow your money, you have to pay back, plus interest. We’ll look for the best rate possible, and that’s really the only conditions which are practical and make sense; not lots of other things that have nothing to do with the loan itself.”
Premier Wheatley previously disclosed that the government intends to tender a project for roadworks extending from Paraquita Bay to Trellis Bay that will cost in the region $10 million and suggested that his government will likely be utilising loan funds to complete this project.
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This is such nonsense. Who is going to guarantee a liability of US$400m or so, unless they are confident that the loan funds will (a) get paid back; (b) not be stolen and (c) used properly so we don’t build junk.
It’s not as though the BVI has a good record on this, is it? Look around you, and that’s with an annual budget of hundreds of millions during the good years 1988 or so to 2017. The place looks like a garbage dump and we don’t have basic things, like an incinerator, decent schools or a functional sewerage system, to show for that expenditure.
Then we had the CoI and Head Coach. Any borrowing conditions will now be even more onerous. The cheapest way to borrow was with the benefit of the UK guarantee; and we rejected that. Another example of the financial acumen of our leaders.
Have a look at the BBC’s report on Haiti. It’s time to get real if we don’t want to go the same way.
The BBC and all other news and reporters must stop the old, old lies and proerganda about poor helpless Haiti, and start telling and printing the truths as how Haiti was dethroned; why Haiti is still poor; and why Haiti will never get out of the EVIL perneciousness of FRANCE, USA AND EUROPE….
IF YOU WANT TO REALLY LEARN WHAT EVIL AND UNADULTERATED GREED, WICKEDNESS, DECEIT AND CONTEMPT FOR A PEOPLE AND COUNTRY LOOK LIKE, LEARN THE TRUE HISTORY THAT IS AFFECTING HAITI TO THIS MINUTE.
THE FRENCH AND THE REST OF THEM ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS. THEY CAN NEVER BE.
The drug lords have been exiled. There is no money coming in. The marijuana bill got overturned by the governor. Fahie is now asking for the identity of the informants who are right in jail with him .so lets increase taxes lessen on rent increase working hours lessen salaries cut civil servants labor pool and were good to go.
Bvi long been sold out and souls are bought everyday for promises.