The British Virgin Islands Ports Authority presently owes central government more than $9 million for taxes collected since 2016 and for the balance of a loan issued to assist with works at the Cyril B Romney Tortola Pier Park.
This information was revealed by Premier Andrew Fahie during a recent sitting in the House of Assembly where he said that a total of $9,077,494.44 was owed by the Ports Authority to central government for taxes and an outstanding loan.
He was responding to a question posed by Leader of the Opposition Marlon Penn who requested for the premier to give detailed and cumulative amounts of all monies owed to vendors, contractors and individuals from January 1, 2019 through May 10, 2021, by the BVI Ports Authority.
The premier replied stating that from January 1 to December 31, 2019, the sum owed was $740,366.15, while from January 1 to December 31, 2020 a total of $934,497.12 was owed.
For the period of January 1 to May 10, 2021, the cumulative owed was $328,235.96.
Prior to responding to the question, the premier issued a disclaimer to the general public where he said that the current COVID-19 climate is partly responsible for some of the monies owed to vendors and contractors.
He said, “I want the record of this house to reflect each time that we have been through some of the roughest times in this country in the last two years with COVID. I want that be clear because in this House certain things are said and when I go on the street, I hear that things are in deficit and the factor of COVID-19 is not even factored in.”
“So I know to whom and to what I am dealing with. So I want to make sure that is on the record because show me a country that has not been challenged with COVID-19,” Premier Fahie expressed.
The Eleventh Sitting of the Third Session of the Fourth House of Assembly resumes on Thursday August 19 at 10 am.