Addressing the issues during an Opposition-called press conference on February 2, 2022, the veteran legislator pointed out that other countries like the United States issued grants in the millions to their Overseas Territories.

“I am no fan of the UK Government but they went as far as to guarantee loans for us to rebuild our community, they should have been grants like every other country does!”

“The US gave grants to the USVI [in the] millions and one of the things that kind of get under my skin, is every time the Minister for Health speaks it's about some vaccine he got from the United Kingdom. I mean c’mon!... Vaccines? These are things that you could have gotten from anywhere else, even St Vincent would probably give us some vaccines,” he added.

Serious development needed now

Honourable Fraser said over four years after the infamous hurricanes, the VI is in need of some “serious development.”

He gave examples such as the Ellis Thomas Downs “that is going nowhere” since the 2017 hurricanes damaged it as well as a substantive structure for the West End Ferry Dock.

“I saw people coming from East End to go to West End passing Road Town to get a boat and this is one of the most mind-boggling things but that is how important that ferry terminal is in West End,” he lamented.

The Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) administration has not yet taken up the UK’s controversial loan offer to date.

When the VI Government approached the UK for grants to assist persons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, they were callously told they had enough monies to help themselves.