Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, May 09, 2025

Remove the stigma attached to ‘consultancy’ — de Castro

Remove the stigma attached to ‘consultancy’ — de Castro

Education Minister Sharie de Castro has cautioned that steps need to be taken to separate the concept of consultancy from the stain and stigma that has been attached to the word in the BVI.
The minister was speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) where lawmakers debated an audit report on contracts between the Andrew Fahie-led government and Claude Skelton Cline.

de Castro pointed out that she had stated her disagreement to the continuation of Skelton Cline’s contracts with the government on multiple occasions because she felt there were serious questions over whether work had been done on the contract and whether there had been value for money provided.

“This report articulates some very concerning matters, but overall, I believe it speaks to a legitimate process and system that needs to be used in the correct way so that we could get the ultimate outcome that we want when we use consultancies as a means to provide services to the government,” de Castro stated.

“Consultancy has become a bad word in the Virgin Islands,” she added. “When persons in the community hear us speak of the potential of hiring consultants, persons begin to question whether it is something that is needed and necessary.

The Education Minister said she felt there had been instances in the past where persons, based on the information and the facts presented to the people, seriously questioned the intentions and the value for money and the impact of individuals who had previously been hired through consultancies.

de Castro noted, however, that while she felt consultants are important, there are valid mechanisms that allow businesses and individuals to provide services to both government and private entities that really produce impact, especially in specialised areas.

But because of the track record that the BVI has had with consultancies, de Castro said it has put a stain in the minds of people.

“So, I want us to do whatever is possible as members of this honourable House to remove the stigma that is currently attached to the word consultancy,” de Castro said. “[We should] and ensure that our people are confident enough to believe that we would ensure that we go through the requisite processes to make sure that the individuals who would get an opportunity to serve in these roles would be persons, of course, who would understand very clearly that they’re coming to do a job.”

She expressed that lawmakers should further ensure that measures similar to a graded examination should be employed to determine whether consultants are able to move to the next level in consultancies with the government.

“We have to use that measure, and it matters not who the individual or the business is, but if it is that after that exam has been given, we see that individuals have not passed or met the mark, then we have to ensure that we do not create additional opportunities for failure, especially when it comes to the government’s purse,” de Castro said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×