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Disbanding the RDA would be a mistake- Ronnie W. Skelton
It was in October 2022, that the lifespan of the RDA was extended to December 31, 2025, by the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands, which also instructed that the RDA must develop and execute a plan to transfer its knowledge and skills to the Department of Public Works, and any other relevant agency in collaboration with the Premier's Office.
‘You will be making a mistake’- Skelton
“One thing any government should not do is disband the RDA. You will be making a mistake. That’s my advice, its free, you don’t have to pay for it,” Mr Skelton stated at the opening ceremony of the Elmore Stoutt High School Redevelopment Project on January 3, 2023.
Cabinet in October 2022 had also decided that the Financial Secretary take the necessary actions to extend the RDA’s Instrument of Trust period to coincide with the extension of the Agency’s lifespan and that the RDA should not take on any new project where the completion date would exceed the extended life of the Agency.
The RDA is required to submit reports on a semi-annual basis to the Cabinet on progress made in accordance to the transfer of knowledge and skills to the Department of Public Works.
The Agency also must develop and present to Cabinet a winding-up plan in conjunction with the Premier's Office by November 30, 2024.
But, according to Mr Skelton, if you disband a machinery that works together and take it apart it cannot function.
“So, it’s important for the RDA, with supervision, with regulation, whatever you have to do to make it work and make it function in the interest of this country. Whether I am there or not it doesn’t make a difference,” Mr Skelton said, adding that the RDA is a fantastic team.
What is the RDA?
According to the RDA website, the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) was established in 2018 by the Government of the Virgin Islands as a transparent and accountable specialist project implementation agency to respond to the unique challenges faced by the Territory following the extreme weather events of 2017.
The RDA is a statutory body, set up under Virgin Island’s legislation, that works hand in hand with Ministries to deliver projects under the Recovery to Development Plan (RDP) – the Government’s ambitious plan for recovery and development that has been approved by the House of Assembly.
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16 Responses to “Disbanding the RDA would be a mistake- Ronnie W. Skelton”
Mr. Skelton with all due respect your time has come and gone and you are better off staying out of politics as you and others have been abject failures with only personal gains to show for your tenures!
As much as the system is corrupt; it is the individuals that have shown time after time their ability to corrode and corrupt any and all systems for personal gain/benefits. We are all on to your games and have lost appetite for the BVI Hunger Games scenario. Time to move on brother as your archaic thinking does not bode well in these enlightened times.