Why The Rush? CoI Drills Wheatley On Speeding Up $10M Land Investment Plan
Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Hon. Vincent Wheatley has defended the Government’s decision to speed up a major investment proposal last year, stating that the Government was in the midst of the ongoing pandemic and seeking ways to keep the economy alive.
On October 14, Counsel to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), Mr. Bilal Rawat said, a company in question submitted a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources requesting to lease a portion of Crown land opposite the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital in Road Town for commercial purposes for a 99-year term.
“That was acknowledged by the Ministry, it was mentioned that's what was required, a detailed business plan,” Rawat said.
He further informed that on the 15th of December, 2020 the ministry received the said business plan for the development and the estimated cost was between $10 to $15 million, and the matter was taken to Cabinet for perusal the following day December 16, 2020.
Mr. Rawat said the ministry made a survey request and a valuation report which was going to be required; the next step would be the execution of the lease agreement. The land had to also be subdivided.
Rawat said, at the time, the matter was flagged by the Attorney General’s Chambers as being “premature” because of the outstanding valuation report and the like.
“As I understand it from Mr. [Joseph] Smith-Abbott [Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources], the process is that the survey and the valuation report ought to be available prior to any recommendation to Cabinet,” Mr. Rawat said.
Wheatley replied that he thinks that the said documents are necessary to obtain the lease; he is not so sure it needed to be recommended to Cabinet.
Mr. Rawat continued his questioning: “…but why the rush?”
Wheatley replied: “you see the date on it? In the middle of a pandemic, we are trying to get economic activity in the country. Somebody is trying to put an injection of $10 million in an economy in a very bad time. The worse pandemic in 100 years. We are scrambling, trying to figure out how we are going to get this economy moving, that’s the hurry. That was the hurry to get economic activity in the country.”
He said all the requisite documentation would have to be submitted prior to the applicant being granted a lease, but “at least this gives them permission to go ahead preparing these things. This is not a lease, this is Cabinet saying go ahead, and once you get these things now we can prepare a lease for you and get some activity going in the country; $10 to $15 million is a lot of money."
Nonetheless, Wheatley said, “If memory serves me right, I don’t think that lease is done yet,” when further questioned on it.
“That was acknowledged by the Ministry, it was mentioned that's what was required, a detailed business plan,” Rawat said.
He further informed that on the 15th of December, 2020 the ministry received the said business plan for the development and the estimated cost was between $10 to $15 million, and the matter was taken to Cabinet for perusal the following day December 16, 2020.
Mr. Rawat said the ministry made a survey request and a valuation report which was going to be required; the next step would be the execution of the lease agreement. The land had to also be subdivided.
Rawat said, at the time, the matter was flagged by the Attorney General’s Chambers as being “premature” because of the outstanding valuation report and the like.
“As I understand it from Mr. [Joseph] Smith-Abbott [Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources], the process is that the survey and the valuation report ought to be available prior to any recommendation to Cabinet,” Mr. Rawat said.
Wheatley replied that he thinks that the said documents are necessary to obtain the lease; he is not so sure it needed to be recommended to Cabinet.
Mr. Rawat continued his questioning: “…but why the rush?”
Wheatley replied: “you see the date on it? In the middle of a pandemic, we are trying to get economic activity in the country. Somebody is trying to put an injection of $10 million in an economy in a very bad time. The worse pandemic in 100 years. We are scrambling, trying to figure out how we are going to get this economy moving, that’s the hurry. That was the hurry to get economic activity in the country.”
He said all the requisite documentation would have to be submitted prior to the applicant being granted a lease, but “at least this gives them permission to go ahead preparing these things. This is not a lease, this is Cabinet saying go ahead, and once you get these things now we can prepare a lease for you and get some activity going in the country; $10 to $15 million is a lot of money."
Nonetheless, Wheatley said, “If memory serves me right, I don’t think that lease is done yet,” when further questioned on it.
