Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie has signed an agreement with BCQS Limited for the construction management of Bregado Flax Educational Centre.

Honourable Fahie signed the contract yesterday, Wednesday, April 3 to the tune of one hundred five thousand, four hundred dollars ($105,400) on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands while Mr. Ben Butler signed on behalf of BCQS Limited.

Honourable Fahie said his Government is working expeditiously to ensure that all recovery and development projects are executed, “so that we can get the BVI back to the new normal”.

He thanked the efforts of the Ministries of Finance and Education who were responsible for advancing the project to its present stage and for their commitment to the execution of works.   

Premier Fahie said, “Students in Virgin Gorda can return to a better learning environment… We will be moving towards the tendering and selection of contractors and moving towards getting the project started.”

“One of our aims is to speed up all these projects and develop them better than how they were pre-Irma”, he added.

Speaking on the priorities in the Education sector, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Culture, Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley said the Honourable Premier mandated that recovery in education must be of the highest priority and as a result of that all available resources are being mobilised to ensure that  young person’s get back in the classrooms and learn in an environment that is conducive for the type of students the Territory wants to produce.

The Deputy Premier thanked the principal and educators for their dedication and commitment to the students despite the dire situation they face. He also extended gratitude to the patronage of Unite BVI for the reconstruction of the first wing of the school.

Minister for Natural Resources and Labour and Representative for the Ninth District, Honourable Vincent Wheatley also expressed thanks to the various ministries and agencies involved in the development and execution of the project.

Honourable Wheatley said, “ I am very excited to see this contracting signing, as it is the first contract signing since this Government took office and I am very pleased that it is for a project on Virgin Gorda.”

He added, “It’s good to see that we are remedying that situation, it has been very stressful on the parents, teachers and students…. I am really happy to see this contract being signed and having those children out of that tent.”

Other Ministers of Government present at the signing were Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities, Honourable Kye Rymer and Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Carvin Malone.

The project is phase II of ongoing efforts for full restoration of the school. The works will include reconstruction and rehabilitation of roof and internal structures for the administration building and secondary school buildings (Blocks 2 and 3). The tender process to procure a contractor to execute the works is expected to commence within the next two to three weeks.  

Attached:

Photograph of Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie signing contract on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

(L-R second row) Director of Projects, Ministry of Finance, Dr. Drexel Glasgow, Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Carvin Malone,  Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Honourable Vincent Wheatley, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture, Dr. Marcia Potter, Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities, Honourable Kye Rymer and  Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency, Mr. Paul Bailey.