Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Food operators must sign declaration $$ will be used for intended purpose

Food operators must sign declaration $$ will be used for intended purpose

Premier and Minister for Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie said the 10 food operators who will benefit from a grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be required to sign a declaration that the funds will be used for the intended purpose.

In a statement on September 14, 2020, the Premier informed that the $40,000 grant will assist 10 food operators, who will receive $4,000 each.

He said six businesses on Tortola, two businesses on Anegada, one on Virgin Gorda and one on Jost van Dyke would benefit.

He further said, the 10 businesses are inclusive of 5 restaurants, three food vans and two café/snackettes to assist with their operational expenditure.


The $40,000 grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be divided into $4,000 to 10 food operators.

'Rigorous process'


"Each awardee will be required to sign a declaration form upon receipt of the cheque, which outlines their commitment, for example: to honour the intended purpose for the funds (meeting business operational expenditure); to participate in any surveys on accessing the programme; to participate in the financial management assistance/training being offered pro bono by two of the BVI's Accounting Firms - Deloitte and KPMG. We were very pleased with the rigorous process of the UNDP and we applied the same requirements to our small business grant programme," the Premier said.

He informed that the UNDP programme is being done in partnership with the Government of the Virgin Islands, in providing economic stimulus.

"These funds will assist them in addressing some of the financial difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We will not call the names of the business, but the awardees will be contacted via email and telephone to provide them with additional information, including where and when the cheques can be collected. Special arrangements will be made to ensure that cheques can be collected if you are on the Sister Islands," he added.

Premier Fahie said his administration is devoted to building entrepreneurial skills; therefore, as part of the knowledge-based component of the programme awardees will be receiving business management guidance by accounting and business development professionals in the VI.

"I would like again to thank Deloitte and KPMG for their involvement in this important initiative. Indeed, we are in this together," he added.

Sector badly affected


According to Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles (AL) September 14, 2020, during the launch of economic grant payments to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise businesses (MSMEs), 64% of workers in food and drink sector were laid off, and significant revenue reduction was seen as a result of the pandemic.

"A business impact survey conducted by the Government of the Virgin Islands in April 2020, revealed that the majority of bars and restaurants experienced a significant reduction in business activity, between 61% and 100%," she stated.


Premier and Minister for Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), right, seen here with Jr Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles (AL), said the 10 food operators who will benefit from a grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would be required to sign a declaration that the funds will be used for the intended purpose.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×