Premier Fahie told the COI that the ad hoc committee was designed to look at “reviving the economy while balancing lives with livelihoods”.

At the time of the group’s inception, Premier Fahie said: “I want to make a call to the people of the BVI because I told the Ministry of Finance that we have to come up with an ad hoc committee to look at new revenues for the territory. So, anyone who is interested, please call the Premier’s Office.”

Fast-forwarding to his hearing with the COI recently, the Premier said he did not come up with the EAC but merely endorsed and adopted the group.

“I endorsed it because they were already fine without me … They are business people in the community with genuine concerns so I endorsed it and adopted it. But it was not something that I created overall on my own. It was something that they already had decided to put together,” Premier Fahie said.

CSC added independently of Premier

Questioned as to whether government consultant Claude Skelton Cline was also a part of the group, Premier Fahie told the COI that Skelton Cline was indeed a member of the EAC, but was only added to the Committee independently of him.

The Premier also confirmed that no elected ministers sit on the Committee.