'Some believe VI only doing well because it’s under UK'- Premier
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![Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has said the Virgin Islands was under the Union Jack for about 200 years and people were still poor having to migrate to neighbouring islands. Photo: Internet Source](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/350x_u_union_jack.jpeg)
Premier Wheatley was a guest on Reggae 360 on Tola Radio VI on September 4, 2024 when he disputed that claim, explaining that history will show this is not the reason the VI is doing well.
200 years under Union Jack people were still poor- Premier Wheatley
“We were under the Union Jack for 100, 200 years and the place was poor and people had to leave and go to Cuba and Dominican Republic and go all over the place to try to survive, all when we were under the Union Jack…and the only time things started to get better for us as a people was when we start elect our own people, we elected a group of people in 1950,” the Premier stated.
He said it was those elected like Howard Penn and others initially followed by those like Leslie Malone who put the VI on the road to self-sufficiency.
“You know how we get the US dollar to use here? It is because of people like Leslie Malone. They negotiated, because of our close relationship with the USVI and Puerto Rico that we traded with, to use the same currency.”
The Premier stated laws were then established to begin building a tourism industry. “It was Leslie Malone and people like that that bring Rockefeller here…to do their resort in Virgin Gorda and all of a sudden you start to have an economy which is forming to give the people jobs and bring wealth to the place. It’s the things that our people did with that financial services industry between Lavity Stoutt and Cyril Romney.”
The people have the power
The Premier added that some may argue that they do not agree with what their leaders are doing and hence independence is not the way to go.
“In every other country they do when they don’t like the leadership, all you got to do, and the Virgin Islands they do it all the time, you don’t like somebody, you vote for somebody else, that’s democracy…that’s not a reason to stay as a Territory under a colonial power…You as a people have the power, you have the power to choose your leadership,” Premier Wheatley stated.
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41 Responses to “'Some believe VI only doing well because it’s under UK'- Premier ”
AND, just in case the people in this country, gets it wrong, and decides to independicate, well, the " proof" would be in the pudding!
The Vi is not doing well
REPEAT
TheI is NOT doing well
Reasons why the UK needs to take the rein
We want the UK to take control because..
THE VI are NOT doing well. ..REPEAT
THe VI are Not doing well..
,
UK underpins our legal system creating consumer confidence in our offshore finance product which generates 70 percent of government budget.
We need UK
- Currency is USD and reason for stability = USA based system
- Private sector businesses as largest employers - foreign owned
on the other hand:
- Drug trafficking & crime = 100% home grown
- Bad roads = 100% homegrown
- Bad education = 100% homegrown
- No accounting for government expenses = 100% homegrown
God knows what you said is not true. The Devils want all of us to believe that lies and opinions is truth. but truth is a mythical story.
Let God be true, and everyman a liar.
God loves all people, but He hates evil thoughts, words and actions.
If no one is around to overlook your decision, u would pretty much finish ruining this country, so yeah, uhm... we need um
Our Children can get further education in Great Britain however following 1834 it was our forefathers that established what you see today in the British Territory
The most England did towards the Social System is build HMP
With the UK Passport our people have more travel freedom
Having Said that; Our Own politicians rather take tax Money and spend on Entertainment while the Public Highways in Shambles: Public Water is a serious concern and the Sewage System is a problem
Moreover, as diplomat Benito Wheatley noted, VI growth and development took off after the ushering in of ministerial government in 1967. Local government effort was instrumental in transitioning the VI from an agricultural subsistence economy to a serviced based economy—tourism, financial services. Financial services provides approximately 70% of government revenue but tourism provides more direct, indirect and induced employment. Local government effort improve the access and opportunity for all Virgin Islanders to attend secondary and pursue tertiary education locally; it also constructed a modern hospital, among other improvements.. Moreover, the new economy provided for a myriad of new jobs and job skills, and allowed the VI to boast of having one of the highest standards of living, quality of life, human development index, and per capita income in the Anglophone Caribbean Region. The VI success resulted in the UK and others renewed interest in its governance, growth, etc ;regentrification
effort is red hot.
Succes aside, local government took its eye off the ball and the ship of state veered off course. And the VI must now fail forward, lean forward, take it blows, capitalizing on failures, resetting the compass to get back on track. Truth be told, being under the UK’s umbrella offers some assurance to investors, visitors, ie, the rule of law, good governance, etc..
the same people that begging yall do fix the roads
fix water pipes
fix infrastructures
leave the party along (you didnt)
put in a proper price control and pass it! why do you still have it? give to the governor whats the hold up??
better bank interest (highest in all the cairbbean and neaby usvi)
leave the sbb money alone
get back out tax money from those fake grants and contracts...
thes same people that are asking these thing have power?
these same people that you ignore and continue doing whatever???
okay.
and yall want independence saying we the people have power? but yall do what you want anyway............hm
You are delusional.