SEVENTH SITTING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE SECOND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 4th APRIL, 2013 AT THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA AT 10:00 A.M.
ORDER OF THE DAY
ORDER OF THE DAY 1)
Prayers
2)
Confirmation of Minutes 
Confirmation of Minutes for the Meeting of Tuesday 12th February, 2013.
3)
Announcements by the Speaker
4)
Statements by Ministers
5)
Presentation of Papers a)
b)
6)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to lay on the Table the following documents: i)
Financial Services (Exemptions) (Amendment) Regulations, 2013;
ii)
Government of the British Virgin Islands Treasury Forensic Examination Report; and
iii)
BVI Business Companies (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order, 2013.
The Minister for Natural Resources and Labour to lay on the Table the following documents: iv)
Land Registry Annual Report, 2010;
v)
Land Registry Annual Report, 2011.
Notices of Motions Given Orally a)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to give notice that at a later stage in the proceedings, he would seek leave to move the Motions standing in his name under Items 8(1)(i) through (v), (vii) and (viii) on the Order of the Day.
b)
The Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development to give notice that at a later stage in the proceedings, he would seek leave to move the Motions standing in his name under Item 8(1)(vi) and (ix) on the Order of the Day.
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c)
7)
The Member for the Third District to give notice that at a later stage in the proceedings, he would seek leave to ask the questions standing in his name under Items 7(i) through (iii) on the Order of the Day.
Questions and Answers to Questions i)
The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance the following questions: Question 1 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House whether: a)
The Government of the Virgin Islands has guaranteed any loans for BiWater BVI to finance the current projects being carried out on Tortola;
b) BiWater BVI used any Government assets to secure (as collateral) for any loans to finance the current projects being carried out on Tortola; and c)
BiWater BVI has secured any loans to finance the current projects being carried out on Tortola?
Question 2 Madam Speaker, if the answer to Question 1 c) is yes, could the Honorable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honorable House the amount of such loans. Question 3 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier & Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House: a)
How much BiWater BVI has invested to date on the current projects being carried out on Tortola? and
b) How much BiWater has lost in construction downtime in terms of dollars, due to Government’s procrastination in issuing the necessary development approvals? and c)
What is BiWater’s projected revenue loss as a result of these delays?
Question 4 Madam Speaker, could the Honorable Premier and Minister of Finance please
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present this Honorable House with: a)
The revenue and expenditure for each of the Months: January, February and March of 2013, and indicate whether we are on par with budget projections;
b) A comparison of the same figures in a) above, with those of 2012; and c)
Indicate where the revenue in a) above was derived in dollar amount, indicating clearly how they compare to 2012.
Question 5 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please provide this Honourable House with Treasury Statements for each of the Months January, February and March of 2013. ii)
The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works the following question: Question 1 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House: a)
The cost to Government from January 1st to March 31st 2013 for the services of Sage / Ocean Conversion at the Government owned Baughers Bay Water Plant?
b)
How the cost was apportioned based on service such as electricity, rent, etc.
Question 2 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House: a)
What is the value of the contract with Sage / Ocean Conversion and the Government to operate the Government owned Baughers Bay Water Plant over the six months period?
b)
Whether the Services/Project to operate the Government owned Baughers Bay Water Plant went through a Tendering and procurement process as required by the Protocols for Effective Financial Management which was signed on April 23rd 2013? and
c)
If the answer to b) is yes, who were the participating Tenderers? and if the
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answer is no, could the Honourable Minister please tell this Honorable House, why not. Question 3 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House: a)
Whether BiWater has been able to connect its supply water line from Paraquita Bay to its newly constructed Reservoir at Sabbath Hill?
b)
If the answer to a) is yes, when was that achieved? And if the answer is no, please tell this Honorable House, why not.
c)
If Government is currently utilizing the said reservoir for storage of water from Fort Hill? and
d)
If the answer to c) is yes, at what cost is it to Government?
Question 4 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether: a)
BiWater has demolished and reconstructed the old reservoir at Sabbath Hill as agreed upon?
b)
If the answer to a) is yes, when was the work completed? And if the answer is no, please tell this Honorable House, why not.
Question 5 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether Government has embarked upon its obligations to make the BiWater Agreement viable, by: a)
Providing an adequate supply of electricity to the Plant at Paraquita Bay that is capable of producing the contracted 2.3 million gallons of water a day?
b)
The installation of a pipeline capable of bringing water from the Sabbath Hill reservoir down to the Fort Hill reservoirs to supply the metropolitan Road Town, and its surrounds?
c)
The upgrade of the Ridge Road water line so as to increase its capability to supply the Hannah Hill reservoir which currently supplies water as far as West End?
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d)
If the answer to a), b) and or c) is no, please tell this Honorable House, why not; and
e)
Provide a time line by which these services will be in place.
Question 6 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please provide this Honorable House with a comprehensive list of items complete with a schedule of timelines, and authorizing agencies from BiWater indicating what they will need in order to commence the production of water at Paraquita Bay as contracted for. Question 7 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honorable House: a)
How much money BiWater has lost in construction downtime due to the delays caused, and how much more is anticipated up to the start of production of water? and
b)
How much they would have lost in revenue due to the same delays and the resulting late start in production.
Question 8 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please provide this Honourable House with copies of BiWater’s monthly reports for each of the months from September 2012 to present? Question 9 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please provide this Honorable House with a copy of the report, along with its attachments, on the Mechanical Audit which was conducted by TSG Technologies (BVI) Ltd. in 2010 on the Baughers Bay Water Plant for the Government of the Virgin Islands? Question 10 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House: a)
Whether the company selected to carry out the project management
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services on the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Loan Funded Infrastructural Projects, had been recommended by, and is approved by the CDB; b)
It was wise to select a foreign company at this time, for such a low tech undertaking, given our current economic situation; and
c)
Were there any other bidders? If yes, what were the overarching reasons for their lack of success?
Question 11 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House: a)
What is CDB’s criteria for the make-up of Bid Packages for Projects under their Loan Funded Infrastructural Projects? For instance, is there a minimum dollar value for a contract? Can more than one project be lumped into a single contract? Etc;
b)
When would he be able to start making the first drawdown on the CDB portion of the Funds? and
c)
Of those Projects that were already equipped with construction documents, when would they be ready for Bidding?
Question 12 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House:
iii)
a)
What the criteria is for determining the qualifications for eligibility of contractors for The CDB Loan Funded Infrastructural Projects.
b)
Provide this Honourable House with a copy of the criteria.
c)
Who determines the eligibility of the contractors? and
d)
Will all projects within the CDB Loan Funded Infrastructural Projects meet the requirements of the Tendering and procurement process required by the Protocols for Effective Financial Management which was signed on April 23rd 2012?
The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Minister for Education and Culture the following questions:
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Question 1 Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Education and Culture please tell this Honourable House:
8)
a)
The damages a December 2012 fire has done to the newly constructed Culinary Arts Center which was only opened in October 2012?
b)
Has the facility been repaired, and at what cost.
Public Business 1)
Government Business Introduction and First Reading (i)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Youth Courts (Amendment) Act, 2013”;
(ii)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Trust Corporation (Probate and Administration) (Amendment) Act, 2013”;
(iii)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Banks and Trust Companies (Amendment) Act, 2013”;
(iv)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Trustee (Amendment) Act, 2013”;
(v)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Virgin Islands Special Trusts (Amendment) Act, 2013”; and
(vi)
The Minister for Health and Social Development to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Medical (Amendment) Act, 2013”;
Second and Third Readings (vii)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Second and Third Readings of the Bill entitled, “Police (Amendment) Act, 2012”;
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(viii) The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Second and Third Readings of the Bill entitled, “Authorisation of Surveillance Devices Act, 2012”; (ix)
2) 9) 10)
The Minister for Health and Social Development to move a motion for the Second and Third Readings of the Bill entitled, “Infectious Diseases (Notification) Act, 2012”.
Private Members Business
Other Business Adjournment
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