Governor has ‘nothing further to add’ to past criticisms of NDP Gov’t
Governor Duncan has privately and publically blasted the NDP Administration of reckless spending and lacking priority.
He had backed up his criticism of Government by moving to take money from the Consolidated Fund to give to the police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the courts shortly after the passing of the 2017 Budget in the House of Assembly and later told this news site that some four years of underspending in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) needed to be addressed before the effects of his giving the police additional funding could be seen.
His decision to use his power under Sec 103 (b) of the VI Constitution was seen as an imposition of direct rule on the Territory as it stripped the Minister of Finance Dr Smith and the House of Assembly of their powers to determine how monies are spent.
Nothing further to add
Meanwhile, Premier Smith in his mid-term report on July 10, 2017 stated that his Government has been prudent and 'strategic' with spending. This was in contrast to what Governor Duncan has said in the past, and most naturally we asked the Governor if he maintains that Government has been reckless and not prioritising their spending?
“At this time the Governor has nothing further to add to his past public statements,” Policy Assistant at the Governor’s Office, Emma Bailey responded via email on July 18, 2017.
Governor John S. Duncan OBE took up his post as a senior civil servant in the British Foreign Service as appointed Governor of the Virgin Islands (VI) in August of 2014. His tenure ends August 2017 and Mr Duncan has stated he will not leave the territory until after the Emancipation festivities.
This is a breakaway from the norm of departing Governors, who would usually proceed on leave about a month before and not return.
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