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  by pltm
• Mar 26, 2023
• 14

(PLTM) - In order to fix the major infrastructural issues in the Territory, the new government will need money.

"We have to fix roads; got to fix water; got to fix sewerage; we have to build the airport but the country doesn’t have the money to do all of that. We are going to need to have money, either granted to us or we are going to have to borrow it," Dr. Kedrick Pickering said.

Pickering, At-Large candidate for the National Democratic Party (NDP) was speaking at the launch of the party's Third District candidate Aaron Parillon last evening, March 25.

"We talk about solutions for the future, we got to be realistic about the solutions. This country doesn’t have the kind of money it needs to fix the infrastructure. We cannot fix water without fixing sewerage, cannot fix sewerage without fixing the road," the former Deputy Premier said.

Following the 2017 hurricanes, the UK had offered a $420 million loan guarantee but when the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) came to office, they did not move forward with the offer. In recent weeks, Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley has discussed loan funding with the UK.

Dr. Pickering said that the BVI will however, need people who have intestinal fortitude to sit at the table to have discussions with the UK.

"In order for us to have a mature relationship with the UK we need people who can sit around a table with them, look them straight into the eyes and know that they are going to respect us and have that discussion…have to have a government that is being led by people like young Marlon Penn and myself with experience …to have difficult conversations," he said.

The former Seventh District Representative added:"...To sit around the table and negotiate and get the help we need to move forward in that direction. And in order to do that we have to sit with the UK and say to them, 'you say you have a responsibility for this country, you are over this country, well you must do a lot more to help us to achieve our goals as a country'."

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