Premier Fahie made that comment following questions by a resident during a public meeting on Sunday, September 5 in Capoons Bay on the issue, particularly ahead of the resumption of cruise calls to the territory.

He said: “If we don’t get pride in the BVI, if we don’t get pride [in] ourselves, things cannot work out; that is not for a government contract. Sorry for whoever looking one for it; that’s not a government contract; that comes from you having pride to deal with it.”

He continued: “Some countries hold you responsible if you live on the roadside for your section of the road, you know. What you see some persons doing that live close to the roadside is unconscionable. Anytime you see bottles and cans and things on the ground, they didn’t put themselves there. We have to stop littering and do the right things and keep our property area, around the property around each area clean.”

The First District Representative pointed out that there were certain areas such as the highways and other public places that could be left for the government to do, “But after a while, it is going to come down [to] where we have to have discussions over you taking care in the front of your area and the public area, leave for the government to deal with,” he pointed out.

“We are losing our pride; all of us should have that BVI Love; the problem is it has some persons who are keeping the outside of their yard the same way they keeping the inside of their house, but we all have to chip in,” he said to residents.