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OTs should 'make full use of their finances' to fight COVID-19 - British MP
![The UK Government statement similarly echoes that of United Kingdom appointed Governor of the Virgin Islands, Augustus J. U. Jaspert who had told Premier Andrew A. Fahie and VI government that the territory was highly capable of responding to the crisis and to use its own money, 'We [VI] have healthy reserves and the Social Security Board Fund is very robust,' he said. Photo: Photo: VINO/File](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/800x_8_800x_p_premier_02.jpg)
This position was revealed by British Member of Parliament (MP) and conservative, Wendy Morton responding to questioning asked by MP Stephen J. Doughty in the UK Parliament on April 27, 2020, regarding what support the UK Government is providing to OTs in health, economic, logistical and the transport effects of the COVID-19.
Use your own Finances - Wendy Morton to OTs
In the written response published today, May 4, 2020, on the UK Parliament website Morton said, "Just as the UK is doing, we are looking to Overseas Territories to make full use of their financial resources in order to address the needs of their people."
She said the UK Government is firmly committed to supporting the Overseas Territories in dealing with Covid-19 while the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development are leading across Whitehall effort, working closely with the Overseas Territories governments.
"The Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development is in regular contact with the political leaders and Governors of the Territories. The impact of the pandemic in the Territories varies, and our support is being calibrated accordingly," she also said.
In territories which are in receipt of financial assistance from the Department of International Development, she said the UK Government will continue to provide the support needed to ensure delivery of essential services and to protect their economies.
UK will strengthen health systems where needed - Morton
According to Morton; however, in the areas where it is needed, the UK will provide support to strengthen territories' public health systems, through the provision of essential medical supplies, equipment and personnel.
"We are also working with partners to maintain lifeline transport routes. The Government has organised flights to enable British nationals to return to the UK from the Overseas Territories and to enable a number of British nationals in the UK to return to their homes in the territories. The flights also carried medical equipment to the territories," she said.
This UK response came as the Virgin Islands and other British OTs have been looking to the UK for assistance to fight COVID-19, in the case of the VI, to assist the Territory with accessing funds to match what the VI was making available to its unemployed population as a result of COVID-19.
The UK Government statement similarly echoes that of local Governor, H.E. Augustus J. U. Jaspert who had told the VI government that the Territory was highly capable of responding to the crisis and to use its own money for the COVID-19 fight, “We [VI] have healthy reserves and the Social Security Board Fund is very robust," he said.
However, for the territory to use its own financial resources, it would still need UK approval.
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30 Responses to “OTs should 'make full use of their finances' to fight COVID-19 - British MP”
What goes round comes around.
These w....... colinoalist need to go back to siberia in the cold where they were created .
IT EN'T WOK.
Persons who belong to the Virgins Islands under section 2(2) of the BVI Constitution, are also British Citizens,under the British Overseas Territories Act,2002 (c-8),which is an act of the uk parliament, but British Nationals are not BOTCs.
Some, only "SOME" british nationals reside in the bvi, and paying taxes like work permit etc in the bvi.only "some"
Well, legal team have multiple citizenship, associated with the UK and BOT, and the UK minister said, she will send planes [british airways] to collect all uk citizens in bvi who wants to go back uk, and bring back all uk nationals who reside in bvi, and want to go back bvi, and uk will send help,doctors nurses and equipment,etc..
BUT, uk ent giving us NO MONEY! uk will help,but not with sterling pounds or US Dollars.
"Jump high or jump low,uk ent givin wee dem mony"..
BVI, we the people pay a lot of taxes,and plenty tourists coming here yearly. How much did NDP save in 8 years?
BVI, save your own money,
Don't take it from social security board.its for age pension.
But with this government,we might get out of this economic DEADLOCK.
Case dismissed!
we british oversea country,and we have our own treasury and own finance minister,just like uk.
stop wasting our tax money.when ah you can save it for wet days and disaster
Why SSB don’t tell the people the values of the funds before COVID-19 and as of today?
In my humble opinion, if the Social Security Board wants to assist the gov’t to assist the people, they would get in done; just like they did those two transactions mentioned earlier. It’s not that UK doesn’t want to assist, it’s that we can help ourselves in this instance.
These countries are already suffering economically and the projection is for the global economy to worsen. If advanced economies tank, it is an open secret what will happen to small developing countries. No surprise that MP Wendy Morton is responding similarly to the response provided by Gov A. Jaspert. It would have been earth shattering news if response had differed. These comments don’t happen in isolation. Anyway the UK needs to provide a Marshall Plan-styled package for OTs. After WWII, the US Marshall Plan(US taxpyes) bailed out the UK to the tune of approx $5B.