• HOME
  • Beverly Fraser's Death
  • Legislative Council of The Virgin Islands 50th Anniversary
  • Parliament of Jamaica
  • COVID Program Closed
  • Fraser Save The Seed Basketball 2014 League
    • Second Annual League Opener: 2014 Season
    • 2014 Hon. Julian Fraser Save The Seed League Launch
  • AT LAST: A V I P CONVENTION
  • NATIONAL ADDRES
  • The Plant Letter
  • Xmas Party 2013
  • Christmas Message 2013
  • Virgin Islands Party Hijacked
  • Virgin Islands Blacklisted By France
  • Fraser / Save The Seed Basketball League
    • Final 2013 regular Game
    • All Star Game and Shoot Out Night
  • FATCA
  • Press Conference
  • BVI Under Fire As Tax Haven
    • OT's A UK Headache
  • 3rd DISTRICT JOB & CAREER FAIR
  • Little League Baseball 2013
    • Little League Movie Night
  • 2012 Christmas Party
    • Fraser Says Thank You
  • District Softball 2013 League Opener
    • District Softball 2012 League Open
  • Under 10 August Basketball League
  • District Gets New Auto Parts Store
  • Gold Medalist Delroy Gordon Goes To Gallaudet University
  • BVI / UK Governments Agreement for Borrowing
  • One World Trade Center
  • About Fraser
    • Family
  • Fraser Says Thank You
    • Post Elections 2011
  • Fraser's Xmas Message
  • New Developments
  • ELECTIONS 2011
    • More Election 2011
  • Albion Bridge
  • Hannah Sea Cows Bay Sidewalk Project
  • Hometown Heroes
    • Roger Allen Hodge Park
  • Why BiWater
  • Sea Cows Bay Harbor
  • Earl Dennis Forbes Laid to Rest
  • De La Santa's Bakery
  • Virgin Islands Party 2014
  • VIP Into The Future
  • BVI at Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking Risk: US State Department
  • ACT Gets Fraser Dunked
  • Hon. Fraser's League Draft Made History
  • COVID-19 AID
  • NDP Muzzles Press
  • Famous Biographies
  • District 2022
  • 1st Virgin Islands Day
  • HOME
  • Beverly Fraser's Death
  • Legislative Council of The Virgin Islands 50th Anniversary
  • Parliament of Jamaica
  • COVID Program Closed
  • Fraser Save The Seed Basketball 2014 League
    • Second Annual League Opener: 2014 Season
    • 2014 Hon. Julian Fraser Save The Seed League Launch
  • AT LAST: A V I P CONVENTION
  • NATIONAL ADDRES
  • The Plant Letter
  • Xmas Party 2013
  • Christmas Message 2013
  • Virgin Islands Party Hijacked
  • Virgin Islands Blacklisted By France
  • Fraser / Save The Seed Basketball League
    • Final 2013 regular Game
    • All Star Game and Shoot Out Night
  • FATCA
  • Press Conference
  • BVI Under Fire As Tax Haven
    • OT's A UK Headache
  • 3rd DISTRICT JOB & CAREER FAIR
  • Little League Baseball 2013
    • Little League Movie Night
  • 2012 Christmas Party
    • Fraser Says Thank You
  • District Softball 2013 League Opener
    • District Softball 2012 League Open
  • Under 10 August Basketball League
  • District Gets New Auto Parts Store
  • Gold Medalist Delroy Gordon Goes To Gallaudet University
  • BVI / UK Governments Agreement for Borrowing
  • One World Trade Center
  • About Fraser
    • Family
  • Fraser Says Thank You
    • Post Elections 2011
  • Fraser's Xmas Message
  • New Developments
  • ELECTIONS 2011
    • More Election 2011
  • Albion Bridge
  • Hannah Sea Cows Bay Sidewalk Project
  • Hometown Heroes
    • Roger Allen Hodge Park
  • Why BiWater
  • Sea Cows Bay Harbor
  • Earl Dennis Forbes Laid to Rest
  • De La Santa's Bakery
  • Virgin Islands Party 2014
  • VIP Into The Future
  • BVI at Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking Risk: US State Department
  • ACT Gets Fraser Dunked
  • Hon. Fraser's League Draft Made History
  • COVID-19 AID
  • NDP Muzzles Press
  • Famous Biographies
  • District 2022
  • 1st Virgin Islands Day
Hon. Julian Fraser RA: Always There For His People
  • HOME
  • Beverly Fraser's Death
  • Legislative Council of The Virgin Islands 50th Anniversary
  • Parliament of Jamaica
  • COVID Program Closed
  • Fraser Save The Seed Basketball 2014 League
    • Second Annual League Opener: 2014 Season
    • 2014 Hon. Julian Fraser Save The Seed League Launch
  • AT LAST: A V I P CONVENTION
  • NATIONAL ADDRES
  • The Plant Letter
  • Xmas Party 2013
  • Christmas Message 2013
  • Virgin Islands Party Hijacked
  • Virgin Islands Blacklisted By France
  • Fraser / Save The Seed Basketball League
    • Final 2013 regular Game
    • All Star Game and Shoot Out Night
  • FATCA
  • Press Conference
  • BVI Under Fire As Tax Haven
    • OT's A UK Headache
  • 3rd DISTRICT JOB & CAREER FAIR
  • Little League Baseball 2013
    • Little League Movie Night
  • 2012 Christmas Party
    • Fraser Says Thank You
  • District Softball 2013 League Opener
    • District Softball 2012 League Open
  • Under 10 August Basketball League
  • District Gets New Auto Parts Store
  • Gold Medalist Delroy Gordon Goes To Gallaudet University
  • BVI / UK Governments Agreement for Borrowing
  • One World Trade Center
  • About Fraser
    • Family
  • Fraser Says Thank You
    • Post Elections 2011
  • Fraser's Xmas Message
  • New Developments
  • ELECTIONS 2011
    • More Election 2011
  • Albion Bridge
  • Hannah Sea Cows Bay Sidewalk Project
  • Hometown Heroes
    • Roger Allen Hodge Park
  • Why BiWater
  • Sea Cows Bay Harbor
  • Earl Dennis Forbes Laid to Rest
  • De La Santa's Bakery
  • Virgin Islands Party 2014
  • VIP Into The Future
  • BVI at Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking Risk: US State Department
  • ACT Gets Fraser Dunked
  • Hon. Fraser's League Draft Made History
  • COVID-19 AID
  • NDP Muzzles Press
  • Famous Biographies
  • District 2022
  • 1st Virgin Islands Day

FRANCE BLACKLIST VIRGIN ISLANDS

Picture
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WERE ROCKED BY FRANCE DECISION TO BLACKLIST THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY. 
---PREMIER APPEARS OUT OF THE LOOP----
BVI / UK Conspiracy To Evade Taxes

Fraser Charges Premier With Being Kept Out Of The Financial Services Loop, And Being Misled By Senior Staff In His Administration 

Why France Blacklisted BVI After G8?
 --- Is Our Premier Out Of The Financial Services Loop? ---
Sep 24 2013

It is clear to me that for our Premier to first express shock at being Blacklisted by the French while claiming to be compliant, then for him two weeks later to be making what amounts to be an apology for not knowing that the territory had been deficient in providing information to the French, adds up to an acknowledgement that he is being misled by persons high up in his Administration.

I literally gasped when I saw the reaction from our Premier upon learning that the French had decided to blacklist the Virgin Islands, but what was more troubling to me, and should trouble you as well, was his claim of not knowing of any difficulties with France.  According to reports the Premier said "he did not know of any instances where the VI was uncooperative with France but said once this discovery is made the necessary action will be taken".

If what the Premier is saying regarding his knowledge of compliance, and the information given in the same report by Reuters informing of the blacklist being true: “
According to data compiled by the French government through to August 2011, Jersey and Bermuda had responded to all French requests for information. The British Virgin Islands had responded to 31 out of 41 requests", then this is a precise indicator that the Premier is being kept out of the loop and therefore is not aware of what is happening in our bread and butter industry.

It would appear that the French authorities in taking this long to take action, had been pursuing local authorities for compliance for a long while, but without success.  Or maybe it might be possible that given that both Bermuda and Jersey responded fully and were still blacklisted that the reason for our being blacklisted was unrelated?  Only the Premier can answer this, but of course like everything else, he fails to let us know.

Imagine the Premier's statement: “
I would not have seen those requests on an individual basis. We have set up an ITA in the Ministry of Finance and they handle all the [requests] that come through the Ministry in that regard”!  One would think that he was not the Minister of Finance, and was also not responsible for their actions, especially something as crucial as this.

If according to the French reports, the Virgin Islands have only been disposed to responding to 75% of their requests, then one can see the reason for their frustration and consequent action.

In his statement of acknowledgment as captioned in the media on September 18th, almost three weeks after being blacklisted, the Premier told journalists: “
As Minister of Finance, I requested a restructuring of the ministry so that it could be more aligned with international standards. As a result, these issues encountered with the French Authority were corrected in the middle of 2013 with the establishment of the International Tax Authority”.

This is simply double talk with contradiction after contradiction, especially considering that the French action was taken after the middle of 2013. Here again he lays the blame for the blacklisting squarely at the feet of his Ministry of Finance, after claiming not to know of their incompetence
earlier.

This industry has always received the support and loyalty of all Legislators regardless of Administration.  Our commitment has been so strong that no one even ventured to question.  My thoughts now are: whether we were doing a disservice to the very people now responsible for what is happening to us today, and indeed to the industry as a whole?

A lack of openness and a kind of protectionism has been the norm for so long, that even a request for mandatory consultations between the Members of the House of Assembly and the FSC was flatly rejected by the Premier.   Isn't it time for this to change?  From what I can see, the answer is yes, and it does not have to come at the expense of the industry which has served the territory so well. 


Picture
Premier Dr The Hon. D. Orlando Smith has expressed shock at revelations in the media that France has blacklisted the Virgin Islands and placed it on a list of uncooperative tax havens.

Picture
According to Fraser: If what the Premier is saying regarding his knowledge of compliance, and the information given in the same report by Reuters informing of the blacklist being true, then this is a precise indicator that the Premier is being kept out of the loop and therefore is not aware of what is happening in our bread and butter industry.

Since This Story Break And I Got To Commenting, The Media Has Done Their Part By Making Sure My Position On The Subject Was Well Circulated. 
see what the media did... 

                         ___________________________________
                                                    1  Virgin Islands News Online 

Hon Fraser scoffs at Premier over France blacklisting
-The veteran Opposition member & Third District Representative accuses Premier Smith of being misled by persons in his Administration
September 24th, 2013 | Tags: blacklist France Premier Dr. the Hon. D. Orlando Smith Hon. Julian Fraser shock misled administration

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI –Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA expressed that he literally gasped after seeing the reaction from Premier Dr The Hon. D. Orlando Smith after learning that France had decided to blacklist the Virgin Islands.

In a press release issued to members of the media today, September 24, 2013 Hon. Fraser said, “What was more troubling to me, and should trouble you as well, was his claim of not knowing of any difficulties with France.”                 

Revelations made by the Premier about being shocked at France’s disclosure, amount to “an acknowledgement that [Premier Smith] is being misled by persons high up in his Administration,” Hon. Fraser stated in his release.

The Member of the Opposition charged, if what the Premier was saying regarding his knowledge of compliance and information based in a Reuters
news report informing of the blacklist, then “this is a precise indicator that the Premier is being kept out of the loop and therefore is not aware of what is happening in our bread and butter industry.”

The Reuters report published on August 29, 2013 stated, “According to data compiled by the French government through to August 2011, Jersey and Bermuda had responded to all French requests for information. The British Virgin Islands had responded to 31 out of 41 requests.”

Hon. Fraser continued, “It would appear that the French authorities in taking this long to take action, had been pursuing local authorities for compliance for a long while, but without success. Or maybe it might be possible that given that both Bermuda and Jersey responded fully and were still blacklisted that the reason for our being blacklisted was unrelated? Only the Premier can answer this, but of course like everything else, he fails to let us know.”

He added that one would think that [the Premier] was not the Minister of Finance, and was also not responsible for [the Ministry’s] actions, especially something as crucial as this.

The Third District Representative accused the Premier of engaging in “double talk with contradiction after contradiction” when he stated that a restructuring of the Finance Ministry was requested in the middle of 2013 with the establishment of the International Tax Authority (ITA).

He felt this was so especially considering that the French action was taken after the middle of 2013. “Here again he lays the blame for the blacklisting squarely at the feet of his Ministry of Finance, after claiming not to know of their incompetence earlier,” Hon. Fraser said.

According to the former Minister for Communications and Works, “This industry has always received the support and loyalty of all Legislators regardless of Administration. Our commitment has been so strong that no one even ventured to question. My thoughts now are: whether we were doing a disservice to the very people now responsible for what is happening to us today, and indeed to the industry as a whole.”

He further contended that a lack of openness and a kind of protectionism has been the norm for so long, that even a request for mandatory consultations between the Members of the House of Assembly and the FSC was flatly rejected by the Premier.

“Isn't it time for this to change?” he asked, “From what I can see, the answer is yes, and it does not have to come at the expense of the industry which has served the territory so well.”

Picture
Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA expressed that he literally gasped after seeing the reaction from Premier Dr The Hon. D. Orlando Smith after learning that France had decided to blacklist the Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO/File

Picture
Revelations made by the Premier (above) about being shocked at France’s disclosure, amount to 'an acknowledgement that [Premier Smith] is being misled by persons high up in his Administration,' Hon. Fraser stated in his release. Photo: VINO/File

Picture
Hon. Fraser contended that a lack of openness and a kind of protectionism has been the norm for so long, that even a request for mandatory consultations between the Members of the House of Assembly and the FSC was flatly rejected by the Premier. Photo: VINO

Picture
In August 2013, France added Jersey, Bermuda and the [British] Virgin Islands to its list of uncooperative tax havens, paving the way for tougher financial levies as the EU's No. 2 economy tries to crack down on tax evasion. Photo: www.hothdwallpaper.net