British Virgin Islands (BVI) Special Envoy Benito Wheatley has called on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and international partners to reexamine approaches to procurement after a natural disaster.
Wheatley was one of the lead speakers at a roundtable at the annual Caribbean American Leadership Dialogue held at the Longworth House Congressional Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Dec. 21.
During the roundtable themed, ‘Policy and Legislative Challenges & Opportunities for Enabling Resilient Island Futures,’ the Special Envoy of the Premier argued that adjustments to both domestic procurement rules and international procurement processes are needed in the immediate aftermath and early recovery period of SIDS from a hurricane or catastrophic event to help stabilise the economy and accelerate recovery.
Commenting on the roundtable discussion, Wheatley said, “The economic conditions in a post-disaster society need to be carefully considered in terms of procurement of contracts in the immediate aftermath and early recovery period of an affected country. In many Small Island Developing States government accounts for a significant share of economic activity through the buying and purchasing of goods and services from domestic contractors and suppliers. This dynamic becomes even more pronounced in the aftermath of a catastrophic event when other sectors and drivers of economic activity have been wiped out. International partners need to understand this reality and help to ensure that as much income as possible remains within the economy and is spread as far and wide as possible across the society.”
He went on to say, “Government contracts driving recovery should economically have a strong multiplier effect, as opposed to resulting in vast sums of money leaving the economy and depriving communities and families of much needed financial resources to sustain themselves during a period of reduced economic activity.”
The roundtable’s other speaker’s included Michael Wautlet, Deputy Director of Office of Caribbean Affair at the United States (US) State Department; Dr. Olga Henry, Climate Change Lead, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US State Department; Isaac Anthony, Board Member, Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Faculty (CCCIF); Kate Brown, Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA); and Crispin Gregoire, Crispin Gregoire & Associates.
Barbados Economic Affairs Minister Marsha Caddle MP also participated in the roundtable discussion after giving opening remarks.
