More licks come with honesty in gov’t — Premier
Premier Andrew Fahie has suggested that in efforts at being honest with the BVI’s electorate, his government may have suffered more blowback as a result.
“I found out in the last few years that when you’re being more than honest about certain things taking over the government, you get more licks,” the Premier said at a community meeting recently.
At the time, Premier Fahie was yet again defending the issue of his government’s decision to hire Ministerial Political Advisors.
The controversial decision brought much blowback from residents after it was first noticed months ago and the Premier has continuously sought to defend the decision since.
“Remember, they were trying to make something out of that,” he said.
He explained to his First District constituents at the meeting that whenever the government passes budgets, each ministry has a section called ‘consultancy’.
“You don’t have to take my word for it,” the Premier said, “just Google and bring up the budget and each budget, the money that’s in there, you will decide what consultant or consultancy you need for whatever task, given the financial year. That’s a fact.”
The Premier insisted that the only thing done differently in this instance, is that his government were honest in coming forward to tell the BVI how they planned to spend the funds in the budgetary allocation.
“All we did is do what was never done before — come and tell you what we’re going to do with most of it,” the Premier said.
He continued: “I could have shut my mouth just like all the other governments and don’t say what’s happening; don’t say we hiring these people and just go and sing ‘Hakuna Matata’ along the way and don’t say anything and it won’t have been a big thing.”
Further justifying his government’s decision to make the controversial hires, Premier Fahie explained that there are a lot of things that regular public officers won’t be able to assist the government with because of protocols that restrict their behaviour.
“So, you need those areas that will help you do more research, they help you do more; fill gaps so that when [legislation] is passed, you can get it enforced so that you can get things moving on,” he explained.
At the time, Premier Fahie was yet again defending the issue of his government’s decision to hire Ministerial Political Advisors.
The controversial decision brought much blowback from residents after it was first noticed months ago and the Premier has continuously sought to defend the decision since.
“Remember, they were trying to make something out of that,” he said.
He explained to his First District constituents at the meeting that whenever the government passes budgets, each ministry has a section called ‘consultancy’.
“You don’t have to take my word for it,” the Premier said, “just Google and bring up the budget and each budget, the money that’s in there, you will decide what consultant or consultancy you need for whatever task, given the financial year. That’s a fact.”
The Premier insisted that the only thing done differently in this instance, is that his government were honest in coming forward to tell the BVI how they planned to spend the funds in the budgetary allocation.
“All we did is do what was never done before — come and tell you what we’re going to do with most of it,” the Premier said.
He continued: “I could have shut my mouth just like all the other governments and don’t say what’s happening; don’t say we hiring these people and just go and sing ‘Hakuna Matata’ along the way and don’t say anything and it won’t have been a big thing.”
Further justifying his government’s decision to make the controversial hires, Premier Fahie explained that there are a lot of things that regular public officers won’t be able to assist the government with because of protocols that restrict their behaviour.
“So, you need those areas that will help you do more research, they help you do more; fill gaps so that when [legislation] is passed, you can get it enforced so that you can get things moving on,” he explained.
