NDP Gov’t spent over $8.5M in travel from 2013 to 2018
In fact, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has been hauled over the coals by his critics for his frequent travels.
Information reaching our newsroom; however, is that the travelling expense of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government is a drop in the bucket in contrast to the bills racked up by the last National Democratic Party (NDP) Government.
Part of this revelation was made in the House of Assembly on February 20, 2024, when Sixth District Representative and Opposition Member Hon Myron V. Walwyn asked the Premier how much money has been spent on overseas Travel, accommodations and other associated expenses by his government from February 2019 to date.
Premier Wheatley revealed that the expenses, which included subsistence and warm-clothing allowances, totalled $3,487,076.16.
According to the Premier and Minister of Finance, the figures are as follows: 2019- $885,183.38; 2020- $184,719.03; 2021- $144,014.14; 2022- $760,410.23; and 2023- $1,512,749.38.
This he said is an average of $697, 415.23 per year.
NDP spent over $8M on travel for 2013-2018
Meanwhile, it has been unearthed that the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government, of which Hon Walwyn was a part, spent $8,663,086.42 million from 2013 to 2018.
$2,223,449.63 million alone was spent on NDP Government travel in 2013.
When the figure for 2018 ($1,019,987.77) was to be taken out to make it a five-year period, the total was still $7,643,188.65 on travel.
Premier Wheatley had attempted to disclose more details on the NDP Government’s travel to give context; however, he was first shut down by Hon Walwyn.
“Madam Speaker, I did not ask the Premier that. I am not in this tit-for-tat thing. I asked a specific question and I want the answer to that. When he gets on the Opposition side, if he is so fortunate, then he could ask the government that question, but that is not the question I asked,” Hon Walwyn stated.
Public needs ‘context’- Premier
Premier Wheatley had said the figures for 2019-2023 were nothing out of the ordinary as the amount was far less than the 2013-2018 period.
“When the public hears these numbers they don’t know how to square them, whether there is something that is regular or irregular. If you get a projection over 10 years, even though it might be inconvenient for the member to hear that, it puts it in context, because in government persons have to travel, whether it’s this administration or the administration before.”
Premier Wheatley then disclosed that for 2013 alone, that figure of $2.2M “is far more than any year during the 2019/2023 period.”
Speaker Hon Corine N. George-Massicote then prevented the Premier from giving any further details, as she “redirected” him to the supplemental questions.
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31 Responses to “NDP Gov’t spent over $8.5M in travel from 2013 to 2018”
Natalio has questions beforehand …they all do yet comes unprepared to provide answers and insists on drawing reference to the past.
When election comes he’ll be quick to say they won’t do such and such as the previous Government did but turn around and do worse only to say the previous Government did it too.
This Premier is childish and petty.
The spouse Air tickets was never paid for from Tax Payer money.
In addition, the NDP government is not now accountable to us, the VIP government under your leadership is.accountable to us, your BOSS, the people.
when last u went supermarket(my goodness
Light Bill
Gas prices
Between that same time we had less water issues and better roads and also that government was traveling to negotiate us not being black listed. I guess that nonsense is helping bathe current premier sleep better.