Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

AG ‘stimulus’ reports to be brought to HoA despite ‘accuracy’ concerns

AG ‘stimulus’ reports to be brought to HoA despite ‘accuracy’ concerns

Despite expressing concerns including about accuracy, Cabinet has decided that the Auditor General’s Reports on the Government of the Virgin Islands’ stimulus programme for religious organisations, civic groups, daycares and private schools as well as for farmers and fisherfolks will be laid in the House of Assembly (HoA).

Controversy was sparked in the public domain when information from the reports was presented to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) even before the documents were sent to the Governor and the relevant Ministers and then brought before the House of Assembly as is the legal procedure.

There have also been concerns over the accuracy of some of the information in the reports.

Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has assured that all funds for the stimulus grants given out to the public can be fully accounted for.


Controversial reports approved for HoA


At a Special Online Cabinet Meeting chaired by Governor John J. Rankin, CMG, on July 14, 2021, Cabinet decided that despite the concerns the reports would be laid in the House of Assembly.

According to a Cabinet Post Meeting Statement published on July 29, 2021, Cabinet noted the Auditor General’s Special Report on the Government’s stimulus programme for religious organisations, civic groups, daycares and private schools that was launched as a part of the COVID-19 recovery initiative and decided that the Auditor General’s Special Report, “in spite of the concerns over the methodology used in developing the report and concerns over the accuracy of some of the content of the report, be laid, with names of recipients redacted, by the Attorney General before the House of Assembly at the next Sitting or at its next meeting thereafter.”

Cabinet also noted the Auditor General’s Special Report on the Government’s stimulus programme for farmers and fisherfolks that was launched as a part of the COVID-19 recovery initiative and “decided that the Auditor General’s Special Report, in spite of the concerns over the methodology used in developing the report and concerns over the accuracy of some of the content of the report, be laid, with names of recipients redacted, by the Attorney General before the House of Assembly at the next convenient Sitting or at its next meeting thereafter.”

AG allegations


Auditor General, Ms Sonia M. Webster, appearing before the CoI on June 28, 2021, alleged that stimulus amounts requested by farmers and fisherfolks were inflated by the Premier’s Office prior to payment, which meant applicants received more than they requested.

The Attorney General noted that a request made by 70 farmers totalled $351,730 but the total payments amounted to more than $1,000,000.

Speaking to the matter during VIP’s Let’s Talk on 780 AM ZBVI on June 29, 2021, Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) had assured that all funds for the stimulus grants given out to the public can be fully accounted for.

The Territory’s leader had also said that the truth will eventually come out regarding the allegations.

Accuracy concerns


Noting that the Internal Audit Department and the Auditor General’s Office are crucial components of good governance, Hon Fahie had said the audits “represent a snapshot picture at a given point in time, therefore at a different point in time, the picture can change as the available information changes.”

Premier Fahie had continued, “The validity and accuracy of an audit report also depends on the data that was analysed, to come to the findings and conclusion. If the information is incomplete, then it will not show the whole picture. So if all the data was not analysed or all of the data was not available to be analysed, in terms of availability, then the conclusion of the report has to be approached with caution because the analysis was not based on all the data. All I can say at this time is that time will reveal the truth.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×