The government is asking for public input on a draft of the territory’s “Recovery and Development Plan,” which outlines proposals for spending $721 million on the territory’s recovery from the recent hurricanes and flooding.

The 28-page document includes a cost-estimate table that lists a $250 million line item for the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport — a longtime National Democratic Party pet project that pre-dates the storms — as well as $56.35 million for roads; $48.65 million for electricity; $43.66 million for schools; $32.685 million for “government administration;” $32.6 million for water; $29.1 million for sewerage; $30.45 million for “government services;” and several other smaller expenses.

Sinking $250 million into the airport would support “rapid economic expansion and facilitate a more effective and efficient recovery following future disasters, should they occur,” according to the plan.

That funding will likely not be sought through loans, however: Government is looking into some kind of public-private partnership, according to Brodrick Penn, the chairman of the Disaster Recovery Coordination Committee, which drafted the document.

“The government is not going to go out and borrow $250 million to get the airport,” he said. “We know that can’t be the priority among our priorities. If that development happens, it is going to have to happen within a private sector partnership.”

Timetables

The document includes a predicted timetable of expenditures laid out across three broad periods: 0-18 months, 18-36 months, and post-36 months.

The first 0-18-month period began shortly after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Mr. Penn explained.

In total, government plans to use about $218 million in recovery cash in the first year and a half, about $388 million in the second year and a half, and about $115 million after that.

The rest of the document — which repeatedly repeats itself — lays out broad goals such as rebuilding infrastructure, assisting businesses, preparing for climate change, and pushing for alternative energy.

Recovery agency

Remaining public consultation meetings Government officials scheduled seven “stakeholder consultation meetings” to discuss their newly released recovery plan, though five were scheduled during working hours and five were scheduled with only one or two days of notice. They won’t be the public’s only chance to weigh in on the plan in person, however. “Subsequently, public meetings across each district and the sister islands will be held,” said Brodrick Penn, the chairman of the Disaster Recovery Coordinating Committee.  As of this edition’s distribution time, the following stakeholder meetings remain. TODAY Public and Private School Principals, Educators, Guidance Counsellors, Historians, Computer Dealers, Sports Coaches, Librarians, Musicians: Registry of Corporate Affairs, Pasea Estate, 3rd Floor, 5-7 p.m. Non-Profit Organisations, Service Clubs, Clergy: Department of Youth Affairs and Sports Conference Room, 5-7 p.m. TOMORROW Telecommunication Providers, Plumbers, Electricians, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Architects, Heavy Equipment Operators, Biotechnicians, Contractors, Foremen, Boat Captains, Security, Shipping Agencies, Dock Masters, Ground Service Agencies: Breezeway, Central Administration Building, 10 a.m.-noon Small-and-Medium-Sized-Business Owners, Wholesalers, Supermarkets, Hoteliers, Restauranteurs, Marine Industry, Taxi and Livery Operators, Travel Agents, Pilots, Car Rental Agencies, Ferry Operators, Bare Boaters: Breezeway, Central Administration Building, 1-3 p.m.

The plan also calls for the establishment of a “Recovery and Development Agency” that would administer the territory’s recovery for the next five years. The agency would be established through legislation, managed by an independent board, and supported by a secretariat, according to the document.

Led by a board of directors approved by the House of Assembly, the body would be charged with “driving the recovery process by fast-tracking the execution of projects and ensuring proper coordination, both with government ministries and with external partners,” the document states.

Though agency selectees have not been identified yet, “it is anticipated that there will be a diversified board with representation from BVI government, UK, donor/NGO community, private sector and the public,” Mr. Penn stated.

The recovery work is slated to be funded by $58.9 million from government; $52.7 million from grants; $221.7 million from loans; $331.4 million from “private/NGO/statutory sources;” and $56.7 million from insurance, according to the document.

Public input

Mr. Penn stressed that the draft is open to alterations.

“The plan is not finalised and now requires stakeholder and public input prior to its finalisation,” the chairman wrote in an e-mail to the Beacon. “Detailed schedules, timetables, etcetera will be part of an implementation plan.”

In that vein, government scheduled “stakeholder consultation meetings” this week, though several took place during working hours and with only 24-48 hours of public notice (see sidebar for the list of remaining public meetings).

They will not be the public’s only chance to weigh in on the plan in person, however.

“Subsequently, public meetings across each district and the sister islands will be held,” Mr. Penn said, noting at a meeting yesterday that they would likely happen a week or two after the stakeholder meetings finished.

First meeting

The first stakeholder meeting — for environmentalists, fishermen, farmers, agriculturalists, horticulturalists and landscapers — was held yesterday morning and was attended by about 30 people.

During the session, Mr. Penn and Ronald Smith-Berkeley, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, went over the plan in broad strokes and discussed more specific elements of the document relating to the careers of the attendees.

Afterwards, stakeholders raised their concerns and offered suggestions that ranged from updated agricultural legislation to better land reclamation standards to increased clean-ups in marine environments. 

Outside of the meetings, members of the public can submit comments by e-mail to feedback@bvirecovery.vg or in hard copy to the DRCC Office at the Ritter Building on Wickhams Cay II.

After the DRCC considers public input, another draft of the plan will be submitted to Cabinet, which ultimately will submit it to the House of Assembly for approval, according to the document.

Government hopes this process wraps up within three months, according to Mr. Penn.

Certain things the chairman listed in the past as being part of the plan — including “impact tables” — are not included. He described those as being a part of “working papers” which supported the plan but have not yet been made public.

Some additional details may be publicised when the plan is submitted to the House, Mr. Penn added.

In early October, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith announced that the plan itself had been approved by Cabinet.

The working document, however, remained hidden from public eyes until Dec. 22.

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