Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio Wheatley has responded to public calls for the Government of the Virgin Islands to “better prioritise” spending following the announcement that the Government will spend $250 thousand on the Non-Stop Concert.
Many members of the public have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, and expressed the view that the money would be better allocated to key areas such as the Territory’s infrastructural needs and education. Some have gone as far as calling for the event to be cancelled all together.
The Premier admitted that these cries have not fallen on deaf ears, and offered this response to the public.
Premier Wheatley described the concert as part of a larger effort to build the Entertainment Industry in the Virgin Islands. He stressed that when these events are successful it can be felt at all levels of the economy.
He also noted that the Government collects significantly more taxes from visitors brought to the Territory by such events.