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by pltm
(PLTM) - Today, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) woke up to the change that the majority voted for yesterday, February 25 at the polls—a victory by the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) and a new group of representatives waiting to be instated as the Territory’s government.
The incoming Premier, Hon. Andrew Fahie, in his first media interaction following the announcement of the VIP’s victory at the polls, gave a brief insight into what is to be expected in the days to come—including the much touted audit of the Territory’s finances.
However, before that is done, he said the damages done while on the campaign trail need to be addressed.
“…Forgive each other because a lot of things happened in this campaign. To me, it was one of the most negative campaigns I have ever been involved in. A lot of families and persons were hurt. A lot of persons were blamed and they were innocent,” he stated.
Addressing his immediate agenda as Premier when sworn in, Hon. Fahie said, “The first thing I always promised the people of the Virgin Islands is that we have to see what the books are saying.”
He went on to say that, “…Based on what the books are saying, then we can go and see which of our plans are low-lying fruits that can be done first, because on the campaign I always maintained that the finances are not how the government has been purporting it, so before I say anything else, we have to know what the books are saying.”
Another priority area, he noted, is preparing for the potential impact of Brexit on the Territory and possible blacklisting by the European Union (EU) if the BVI’s Economic Substance laws and provisions do not meet their requirements.
“We're gonna tackle all because all hitting us now and we’re going to get the right people in the right position to help us. We have to get the best people the Virgin Islands have to offer, whether international affairs or what to surround myself with,” Hon. Fahie divulged.
He reminded, “I always said on the campaign trail, I never purport to know everything. What I understand is how to manage people who have had the know-how and resurrecting things are within my forte. It’s no different from resurrecting the Virgin Islands Party.”
Meanwhile, Carvin Malone, who was elected as a Territorial At-Large candidate, spoke to his work plan moving forward.
While on the campaign trail, Malone touted promises such as remigrant-friendly policies, improved infrastructure—especially to address the sewage and water woes—and policies and programmes to develop businesses in the BVI.
Following the announcement of his victory last night, Mr. Malone said, “What we did was that we made a pledge to restore confidence in governance, we made a pledge to get the economy rolling, we made a pledge to make sure that we can be rulers of our own affairs, and I think that we can do this.”
According to Mr. Malone, “The programmes that we set out that will make a difference, we have to make sure that they are all doable and I think that we have set out some realistic plans; 1000 jobs in 1000 days and having the tenets of good governance, step in and making it happen.”
He too stressed the need for a clear view of the Territory’s financial position, saying, “We have to first determine where we are as a country, our financial conditions; that, in terms of making sure where we are financially is very, very important.”
The focus, he reminded, is to realign the BVI on the path to development and growth.
“We can do this for our forefathers, we can do this for the generations yet to come, so we must build a BVI starting tomorrow that we want to see 30, 50, 100 years from now. And, this BVI that we have must involve all of our citizens, all of our voters. It must involve everyone and there is a place and there is a task for everyone involved,” he stressed.
Similar sentiments were expressed by former Commissioner of the DMV, Mr. Kye Rymer, who was elected as the new District Five Representative.
“We have to look at it at a holistic approach. We must find out where we stand as a Territory before we start to do any projects at the moment. We have a lot of visions, a lot of ideas. We need to form the government, know where we stand, reconcile our books and move to prioritize things that need to be done,” he iterated.
Under his slogan, “Bringing District Five Alive,” Mr. Rymer had outlined proposals for a tax break for teachers and those who wish to establish private schools in the Territory, as well as the development of a business center in Huntums Ghut.
“I will work you, I appreciate the support, you understood my vision, my plans,” he vowed to his constituents.
