No telling where BVI would be if gov't didn't pass two budgets in 2019 - Fahie
Premier Andrew Fahie has said there is no telling what position the BVI would have been in during this COVID-19 pandemic, had he not taken the unconventional route to pass the 2020 budget in 2019.
Premier Fahie made the comments in a recent session on the House of Assembly while debating the Financing & Money Services (Amendment) Act 2020.
“Did anybody ever stop and wonder that if we went through with the norm and did not pass the budget last year and had to pass it in March this year when it was passing all the time, where we would be right now in the middle of COVID-19?” he questioned.
Government always criticized for unconventional moves
The Premier raised the question in response to criticisms that he claims his government receives whenever it decides to pursue a project or initiative.
“When we were going to pass the budget in here, we were told we would not get through with it. Again, a certain specialist told me that, that was nonsense to get two budgets passed in one year,” the Premier stated.
“We were told that we couldn’t get it done. But, we passed it and I got up in April and said it will pass by December 15 … But we didn’t pass it on December 15, we passed it on December 13,” he added.
Government continues to defy the odds
Fahie, who is the leader of government business, said that despite the criticism, his administration’s track record during its time in office speaks for itself.
Some of these achievements which received public backlash include the rehabilitation of the L Adorothy Turnbull building – formerly the L-shaped Building – at the Elmore Stoutt High School and the regularization initiative which saw more than 1,500 persons gaining status in the BVI.
