Exclusive: Wait & See--Governor On Major Decisions In Final Days

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Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News

(PLTM) - Uncomfortable days may be ahead for the National Democratic Party (NDP) administration, as Governor John Duncan plans to utilize his final days in office to address deep-seated concerns, regarding expenditure on several Government projects.

Governor Duncan, who praised the NDP Cabinet Ministers as "business men", shortly after he arrived, has had a strained relationship publicly with Government in recent months.

He told BVI Platinum News, exclusively, that he will not be calling a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into projects.

"Wait and see," Governor Duncan responded, when asked if he will make any major announcements regarding contentious matters.

"I am not going to make a major announcement of another Commission of Inquiry (COI), because I have explained that, but that doesn't mean I am not going to do anything about some of the concerns that people have with (projects)," Governor Duncan stated.

If a Commission of Inquiry is not called into a project, then an audit can be used to ascertain if there were any irregularities. BVI Platinum News understands that there are likely to be high-profile independent audits ordered in the coming days.

Governor Duncan was criticized by residents for not calling a COI into the controversial $83M cruise pier and land side development project. However, he told BVI Platinum News that he does not believe a COI is the answer.

"...My reluctance to have Commissions of Inquiry is because of my profound belief that BVIslanders should hold their own people to account...I have used other mechanisms; I think BVIslanders should own their democracy."

He said that Commissions of Inquiry are expensive.

"I think people misunderstand what a COI [is]. We have had many of them in the UK. They are immensely costly. We are talking several million dollars; they are very long and they have to be presided by a judge. And do the people really wish me to bring in another expatriate to look into their own affairs?"

The Governor added, "I believe that if they thought about it they would prefer that their monies were spent on the economy and the institutions."

Some of the projects which have come into question in the past months include the preparatory works on the airport expansion project, $7M invested into BVI Airways; and the wall project at the Elmore Stoutt High School.

Not An Opponent

Governor Duncan said the Government needs to understand that Governors come as friends and they should not make them into opponents.

"I think my advice would be better placed to the Government and the people of the BVI, and that is Governors come as friends, we come to help, to work in partnership; do not turn them into your opponent," he sad.

Governor Duncan said that he has also been in constant contact with the incoming Governor, Mr. Gus Jaspert.

"I don’t think I could offer him any advice, but I have been working closely with him over the past three months. He sees everything that I do. We have regular conversations, so he knows what I see as the current Governor and he will form his own…and make his own decisions. It's not a question of giving him advice," the Governor stated.

Helped With Financial Services

Meanwhile, Governor Duncan believes that his achievements were in the areas of the financial services and better equipping the legal services. He revealed that he played a major role in the BVI not having to be subjected to the Public Registry system.

"The first part was the working with the Government to try to get an agreement with the British Government in London, so they would not impose a Public Registry, which would have been very damaging to the financial services sector," he related.

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Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News

He added, "That took a good 18 months; very hard difficult contentious negotiations, but we got that. I think that is something I will look back on and say I was there and was prepared to stand up for the Territory; help the Government to find a solution."

He said that most persons were not aware that he played a role.

"Most people weren’t aware because you don’t go around making public statements about those sort of things."

Governor Duncan then mentioned security and legal services.

"The second part of my tenure, as you have seen, related to public sector changes and the security agenda, which are much more visible agenda. I believe we made some progress; has not been a particularly easy path," he related.

Governor Duncan made a historic move earlier this year, exercising his constitutional powers, forcing Government to allocate more money to the police force and legal services.

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