Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Premier questions if blatant UK corruption is benchmark for VI’s good governance

Premier questions if blatant UK corruption is benchmark for VI’s good governance

Virgin Islands (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has called out the blatant corruption in the United Kingdom’s management of its COVID-19 pandemic and asked whether that is the benchmark the Virgin Islands (VI) should follow for good governance.

Premier Fahie’s statement and questions came as he appeared before the UK-funded Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Hearing Day 47 on October 12, 2021.

VI being unfairly judged on a different standard- Premier Fahie


According to the Premier, his comparison was necessary given that governments of the BVI are being judged based on how the UK Government handles certain issues.

Hon Fahie said when it comes to assessment COVID-19 handling, the VI should be on equal footing with that of the UK, given both countries have experienced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet a CoI has been imposed on the VI, when the UK Government has indicated that it is not ready for one.

He said around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the healthcare system and economies of global economies and still continues to do so, and that it forced the VI, like other governments, to adopt extraordinary measures and procedures.

Hon Fahie, therefore, called for 'Parity and Equity to be afforded to the VI, given it is faced with a pandemic just like the UK Government.

Premier Fahie’s statement and questions came as he appeared before the UK-funded VI Commission of Inquiry (CoI), while in discussion with Commissioner, Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom during hearing Day 47, today, October 12, 2021.


VI seeking 'parity' with UK on COVID-19 handling


"Even though, when you look t the track record of the UK government who called this Commission of Inquiry, how it has handled its economic stimulus and social programmes, how it has failed to have accountability, transparency and value for money, and other governance issues surrounding COVID-19, I think you will find that the BVI with our imperfections do not fail or fall into that same barrel as the UK," he said.

Hon Fahie admitted that while the VI and the UK have made a few mistakes regarding its handling of the pandemic, he said there remains no evidence of the high level of blatant corruption in his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as is the case with the UK under the leadership of the Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson administration.

Hon Fahie in his presentation used an example that pointed to the blatant nepotism to access UK government funding in the billions under Johnson's Government and said that in the VI, the Fahie administration has never been involved in any such practice.

Who is the benchmark for good governance? - Premier asks


The Premier asked rhetorically, "I am appealing to you commissioner in the context of whom is the BVI suppose to pattern and set our good governance benchmarks and standards and against who's standards and benchmarks in the BVI's governance is going to be measured?"

"If it is the UK's, then I can tell you that we have no VIP lane for party supporters in our governance system as an official policy, so therefore if its the UK standard, then the BVI would have exceeded those standards by several thousand percentage points," Hon Fahie said.

More details on the Premier's presentation before the CoI to come.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
×