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by pltm
(PLTM) - As the election campaign begins to heat up, candidates are swooping down on topics of concern in the territory, and among the issues being brought to the fore is that of the divide between expats and locals—particularly as it relates to the perception that locals are given second preference to jobs.
Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Hon. Myron Walwyn has made a pledge to put the interest of Belongers first; however, he says that in doing so it is critical that a balance be struck between the treatment of locals and expats.
During the launch of the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) new ‘Commitment of Services’ yesterday, December 10, among the covenants signed onto by Hon.
Walwyn was one which spoke to, “Patriotism which speaks to genuine devotion and love of country, putting the best interest of Virgin Islanders and Belongers first in every consideration.”
This comes days after former founding member of the NDP and now leader of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) Hon. Ronnie Skelton made a public statement, saying that, “it is time that Virgin Islanders and Belongers are given real preferences in the job market. No longer must this just be lip service, no longer. We must act. We spend millions and millions annually on formal training for our people and they need jobs in order to get experience.”
He further alleged that there is a higher value placed on expatriates as opposed to locals.
On Monday evening, Hon. Walwyn spoke to the NDP’s promise to islanders to put their interests first, adding that there is no shame in a government looking out for the interest of its citizens.
“Every country around the world looks out for their citizens, those persons who are born in the country and those persons who become citizens through a process, and it shouldn’t be something that we are ashamed of,” Walwyn said.
He pointed out that this is already being practiced in the BVI, on the employment front, referencing a policy that mandates that in filling local vacancies, BVIslanders be given the employment preference if they meet the requirements. “We have to continue to build on that,” he stated.
However, he stressed that the Government has to, “Find the balance…take care of your people, because they are yours but in taking care of your own people,” he stated, the government must not make expats feel unwanted or unappreciated.
This is critical, he posited, especially given the fact that the BVI is home to over 100 different nationalities.
He also said that it is important that there be unity among those living in the territory, especially in pushing for development.
“We all have far more in common than we have differences, and whatever differences we have, the NDP is asking all of us to put those differences aside and let us work together to drive our territory forward. We are better, stronger together,” Walwyn iterated.
He went on to say, “I mean we can dare to develop and work to accomplish even bigger ideas than previous generations. We can see a Virgin Islands where we can continue to build a strong and vibrant economy capable of generating sustainable, high levels of growth with the benefits to be shared fairly among the people of the Virgin Islands and support a continued high standard of living. We can achieve more collectively.”
Statistics show that over 60 percent of the workforce are expatriates, and Hon. Walwyn has faced accusations that he is more in the favour of expats than locals.
Despite these sentiments by the NDP Chairman, as well his perceived inclination towards expats, Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Hon. Andrew Fahie has accused the NDP of putting locals and expats against each other for political gains.
Recently, he went on record as saying that the Government is in a frenzy of “putting the expatriate community to turn them against the indigenous and take the indigenous and turn them against the expatriate community just for votes.”
He also said that it was the NDP Government that made life harder for expatriates, adding, “We are not the ones who took the visa regime off of the Chinese and then leave the rest on the people of the Caribbean—the ones who are telling you that they love you is who did it.”
He further insisted that, “We are not the ones who carry you up to 20 years to get the residency—the ones who said they love you did it; we are not the ones who carry your work permit exemption up to 20 years—the ones who are saying they love you, did it. So, they are talking love and not showing the love.”
