Year in Review
Page 2 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
JANUARY 2013
Jan. 10, 2013
Jan. 17, 2013
Jan. 24, 2013
AT A GLANCE...
• Aiden Thomas, the territory’s first baby of the year, was born at 5 p.m. on Jan. 1 at Peebles Hospital to parents Fiona and Andrew Thomas. • A series of unpaid bills dating back to 2010 and unspecified “intellectual property issues” stymied government’s efforts to get the greenhouse project at Paraquita Bay and South Sound, Virgin Gorda up and running, officials said. • H. Lavity Stoutt Community College’s annual subvention from central government was cut $1.1 million, down to $9.96 million, due to funding concerns, lawmakers said. • The mobile phone network of CCT Global Communications, which experienced a “critical failure” on Dec. 29, was fully restored after nearly two weeks. The company had partnered with its rivals a few days after the outage to restore service to its customers. • Teams of emergency responders and nearly 40 volunteers participated in the first-ever drill on Jan. 11 to test the territory’s response to a cruise ship disaster. • Roald Amundsen, a traditional German tall ship with a 111-foot mast, visited the territory on Jan. 19 on a cruise from Germany. • Former Magistrate Charmaine Rosan-Bunbury’s legal efforts to be reinstated to her former position were turned down by the High Court, but she vowed in mid-January to press on with the matter to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeals. • The government revealed its $298 million budget for 2013 on Jan. 22. In contrast to previous budgets that provided an annual snapshot, the 2013 edition looked ahead three years and included indicators to measure each department’s performance. “What it allows us to do is focus more on the forest than on the trees,” Fi-
Jan. 31, 2013
ACCOUNTING ERRORS BRING MAJOR GOV’T REFORMS By JASON SMITH
jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photo: JASON SMITH Richard Smith, project director of Biwater’s contract with the Virgin Islands government, examines equipment at the company’s Paraquita Bay desalination plant. nancial Secretary Neil Smith said at the time. • United Kingdom water producer Biwater achieved “70 percent” completion of the construction of its Paraquita Bay desalination plant, a company official said. The company was awaiting permission from govern-
ment to bury a 3,900-foot pipeline from the plant to the bay. To date, the pipeline has not been built and no water has been produced. • Opposition member Andrew Fahie (R-D1) implied at a Jan. 26 public meeting in his district that Opposition Leader Ralph O’Neal might soon renounce his leader-
ship post. Mr. O’Neal had told his fellow Virgin Islands Party members shortly after the 2011 election that he intended to serve in the post for only 18 months, according to Mr. Fahie. Mr. O’Neal declined to comment on Mr. Fahie’s statement, and he remains opposition leader.
The past year has seen a major shift in the way the Ministry of Finance and the wider government plan, buys goods and services, and save tax dollars. Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said in October that his administration has focused on building up the territory’s reserves and implementing budgeting reforms designed to encourage medium-term planning. Officials are now tying departmental budgets to specific goals, beginning the planning process earlier in the year, and starting the transition to an accrual-based accounting system, Financial Secretary Neil Smith said. Government’s financial management has been vociferously debated by both parties during 2013, especially in the wake of an audit report from the firm PricewaterhouseCoopers that called for “urgent remedial action”to address perceived weaknesses. Mr. Smith said in an August interview that widespread deficiencies in government’s accounting procedures uncovered in recent months mean that “millions and millions of dollars’” worth of accounts for 2010, 2011 and 2012 need to be restated. The erroneous account totals — some were understated, others overstated — have left government vulnerable to “pilferage” and have meant that decision-makers lack absolute certainty about the true position of public finances, he said. Government’s Treasury Department was the source of many of the problems, Mr. Smith said, adding that new leadership was needed. Dr. Sandra Besson, a Virgin Islander with a PhD in accounting and finance, was named as the territory’s accountant general in October. Additionally, PwC was given a second contract, “not to exceed” $391,200, to restate the erroneous prior year balances. Once that process is complete, another external auditor will be needed to ensure the restated balances are correct, Mr. Smith said. That process is expected to be finalised in 2014.
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 3
Year in Review
FEBRUARY 2013
Feb. 7, 2013
Feb. 14, 2013
Feb. 21, 2013
Feb. 28, 2013
AT A GLANCE... • The annual Farmers’ Week celebrations kicked off on Feb. 1 at Paraquita Bay but drew reduced participation from farmers due to an unusually dry year and a perceived lack of government support for agriculture.
ON THE WEB Government is hoping to develop Brandywine Bay and other beaches in the territory. Go to bvibeacon.com to read a special report on the plans.
• A critical motor at the troubled Baughers Bay desalination plant failed on Feb. 5, forcing the facility to operate at half capacity, producing about 400,000 gallons per day. An unrelated chlorine leak at the plant the next day sent one worker to the hospital. • Also on Feb. 5, reports of a rodent infestation prompted the Ministry of Education and Culture to temporarily close the Enid Scatliffe Pre-primary School for cleaning. • Preparatory work to expand the runway at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport to accommodate large jets was well under way, Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering told the House of Assembly on Feb. 12. But construction on the project, initially forecast to begin in March, was delayed in part because surveys found the seafloor on which the expansion would take place had a “relatively shallow” rock foundation. • At the same HOA meeting, Julian Fraser (R-D3) attempted unsuccessfully to obtain information about government’s proposed cruise ship pier development partnership with Tortola Ports Partners. Premier Dr. Orlando Smith declined to answer Mr. Fraser’s questions, citing ongoing negotiations. • The Customs Department’s 2012 seizure of a Delta Petroleum storage tank and 240,000 gallons of fuel was
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Brent Marech and his partner walk on Brandywine Bay beach late yesterday morning. The Chicago residents visited the territory for a month, and Brandywine was the first beach they visited. Though there were two large cruise ships in the territory that day, the little-used beach was otherwise deserted. deemed lawful by a High Court judge on Feb. 14. Customs asserted that its officers should have been present when the fuel was discharged into the tank. Delta appealed the decision. • Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool and sev-
eral other officials formally inaugurated a $2.5 million “revitalisation” of the Crafts Alive Village at Wickhams Cay I on Feb. 26. They pledged that more improvements to Road Town were in the works. • The Beacon published a special report on planned improve-
ments to Tortola beaches. In addition to smaller works — vendor stalls at Smugglers Cove, landscaping at Long Bay, Beef Island, and a proposal to reclaim the beach at Fat Hogs Bay — more substantial developments were envisioned for Brandywine and
Lambert bays. • Government ministers kicked off a series of public “On the Road” meetings at Carrot Bay’s Isabella Morris Primary School on Feb. 25. Residents voiced concerns about the area’s infrastructure and educational system.
GREENHOUSES AT PARAQUITA BAY STILL INOPERABLE By ERIC VOORHIS
ecvoorhis@bvibeacon.com The idea was to help ensure the territory’s food security. But the greenhouses that the former government introduced in 2008 are still not in operation. And it’s unclear when they will be. In a November interview, Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering said the “intellectual property issues” he had blamed for the delays in the past are nearly resolved. A previous agreement would have required gov-
ernment to pay annual royalties for the facility, said Dr. Pickering, the minister of natural resources and labour. “As far as I’m aware the persons who were involved with that work and the Dominican [Republic] connection, if not all, we’ve severed most of those ties,” he said. During the campaign season in 2011, the National Democratic Party pledged to review the project to assess its viability. A review has been completed, according to Dr. Pickering, who said in November that the next step is to
find third parties to operate the greenhouses. A request for proposals seeking “qualified greenhouse experts” was issued that month by the Ministry of Finance. Experts should ensure that the business plan includes effective strategies for producing, marketing and distributing high quality vegetables to Virgin Islands residents, according to government Communications Director Arliene Penn. Ms. Penn said in a November press release that the best overall business plan, designed to meet the growing demands of the VI market, would be chosen.
Page 4 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
MARCH 2013
March 7, 2013
March 14, 2013
March 21, 2013
March 28, 2013
AT A GLANCE... WATER SUPPLY • Law enforcement officials said a territory-wide network of surveillance cameras was in place, being tested and nearly ready to begin operation. Proponents of the CCTV system, which officers said would soon be expanded to 30 cameras, hailed it as a major tool to prevent and detect crime, though critics raised concerns about potential breaches of privacy. • Yan Edwards and Allen Baptiste were convicted of murder for the March 16, 2011 shooting death of Keri Harrigan in Long Look. Both defendants were sentenced to life in prison without parole. • For the annual celebration of the life of H. Lavity Stoutt, the territory’s first chief minister, residents gathered at the college established in his name. • More than a dozen volunteers began work on a project to turn Main Street’s historic prison into a museum. The building operated as the territory’s prison from 1774 until 1997. • The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour temporarily closed Jost Van Dyke’s Bubbly Pool after a United States tourist died there while attempting to rescue a friend from the turbulent water in the area. The friend survived. • Volunteers from Virgin Islands Search and Rescue participated in a series of mock helicopter rescues alongside sailors from the United States Coast Guard and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Wave Knight. • Law enforcement agencies detained 27 illegal migrants who were found during a twoday search on Peter Island that ended on March 16. The majority of the migrants were of Haitian descent. • An executive from Royal
IMPROVING, SEWAGE WORK DELAYED By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com Longstanding efforts to improve the territory’s water supply and build wastewater treatment infrastructure in Road Town and East End/Long Look advanced in fits and starts in 2013. Water got a lot scarcer for much of Tortola after a motor failed at the troubled Baughers Bay desalination plant on Feb. 5, causing the plant’s production level to halve to about 400,000 gallons per day. The plant was and continues to be managed by a team from Ocean Conversion-BVI, which has since returned the plant to its normal capacity. Additionally, after experiencing a series of delays — including the failure to find ample water underneath its Paraquita Bay site — the United Kingdom-based firm Biwater has almost finished work on its desalination plant, which eventually will be able to produce up to 2.3 million gallons of water per day. Work on a 3,200-foot pipeline to draw seawater for desalination is expected to begin in earnest early next year, according to Richard Smith, Biwater’s Virgin Islands project manager. After that, the company will focus on installing sewer mains, repairing a pump station in Road Town, and providing two wastewater treatment plants. Those works will link into efforts being spearheaded by the VI firm CBE Engineering as part of the National Sewerage Scheme. The design aspects of the work have been completed, but further laying of pipes in Road Town and EE/LL has largely stalled. The pace of that work will accelerate in 2014, according to Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool.
Photo: JASON SMITH Passengers wait to board an American Eagle flight to San Juan at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. The carrier’s San Juan hub closed on March 31. Caribbean Cruise Lines wrote a scathing letter of complaint to Governor Boyd McCleary, alleging that the government tender process to choose a developer to
extend the territory’s cruise ship dock was unfair. He alleged the process favoured the company’s rival, Tortola Ports Partners. • American Eagle Airlines,
which previously was the VI’s busiest airline, made its last flight from the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on March 31.
Year in Review
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 5
APRIL 2013
April 4, 2013
April 11, 2013
April 18, 2013
AT A GLANCE...
DATA LEAK
• Rain hampered some of the Easter weekend festivities on Virgin Gorda, but the Easter Monday Parade April 1 still went on as usual. Other Easter festivities included a fishing tournament, calypso competition, musical performances and children’s rides in the village.
STILL NOT SOLVED By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com
ON THE WEB People with disabilities in the territory say the territory is a difficult place for them to live. Government officials say they are doing what they can, but for many the progress is not fast enough. Go to bvibeacon.com to read a special report on the topic.
• A 97-page audit of the territory’s finances from 2008 to 2011 found that with the exception of the Reserve Fund, the territory’s books were inflated by outdated accounting practices. It also raised concerns about the fact that over that period, fewer major contracts were awarded via public tender each year. • Andrew Angus Penn, an inmate at Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut, escaped from the compound April 6 at about 4 p.m. He was “apprehended about an hour later walking along the main road near the prison farm,” according to an official statement. He was the second escapee of the year. • Government struggled to defend the financial services industry in the wake of a documents leak and international media coverage that painted offshore financial centres as “tax havens.” Premier Dr. Orlando Smith and other officials responded to the story by saying that no VI laws were broken in the reported stories, and that the territory’s authorities operate according to “the highest international standards.”
April 25, 2013
Photo: FREEMAN ROGERS Members of the Rosewood Little Dix Bay Resort Troupe marched and danced along the Virgin Gorda Easter Parade route April 1. • Nearly 400 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled in Sea Cows Bay April 15 near the defunct Dominos gas station while a VI Motors employee performed a fuel transfer. • On April 19, a judge ordered Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering to reconsider his decision not to renew the work permit of Nicola Gillespie, the former managing director of Citco BVI Limited. Dr. Pickering, the minister of natural resources and labour,
had denied the renewal in November 2012 after receiving complaints from employees about Ms. Gillespie and working conditions at Citco, according to court documents. The judge did not require the work permit to be re-instated, but ordered that Dr. Pickering would have to “make full disclosure of the factors, issues, features or elements of concern” related to whatever decision he made. • An explosion of two 500-
pound liquefied petroleum gas tanks on Main Street April 21 left a man with third-degree burns over 40 percent of his body and a woman with a broken leg. Fire officials said later that the explosion was triggered by a fire. • The Anegada airport was shut down April 17 after losing its airport operating certificate. Officials would only say that the suspension was related to the airport’s fire and rescue services. It re-opened April 24, offering only domestic flights.
The original source of a data leak that spawned international criticism of the financial services sector starting in April still hasn’t been identified publicly. Many of the 2.5 million documents reportedly obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists originated from two Virgin Islands firms: Commonwealth Trust and Portcullis TrustNet. BVI International Finance Centre Director Elise Donovan told reporters at the time that the leak was “an isolated incident,” later adding, “There is absolutely no evidence of a systemic, contagious breach.” Ms. Donovan also said that the breach appeared to have originated from a piece of hardware, such as an external hard drive, being taken from the companies. According to a June statement on its website, Portcullis had identified an individual who company officials strongly suspected of being involved in stealing company data, and the company believed “the data theft ended in 2010.” The company said in the statement that it had filed a report with VI police. Preliminary police investigations indicated that the leak came from a source outside the territory, which would put the crime outside the jurisdiction of local authorities. The leak also prompted Portcullis to undertake an information technology and security review, according to the company’s statement.
Page 6 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
MAY 2013
May 2, 2013
May 9, 2013
May 16, 2013
May 23, 2013
AT A GLANCE...
SCRUTINY FROM
• Virgin Islands officials and the leaders of several other British overseas territories announced May 2 that they would join efforts to curb tax evasion by joining a pilot programme of automatic information exchange with the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany and Spain.
ABROAD By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com
ON THE WEB Tourism picked up in the territory last season, but struggles remained. Go to bvibeacon.com to read a special report published in May.
• The BVI Health Services Authority began offering weekly specialty clinics, which allowed patients to see neurologists, hematologists, pulmonologists and cardiologists from Puerto Rico-based HIMA Health. Officials said the clinics would save residents trips abroad, and that early clinics were well attended. • After a lengthy study to assess damage and weigh options, the cleanup effort began of a lead spill on the reef at Carrot Shoal. The megayacht Parsifal III had run into the reef in February, leaving piles of ballast that were elbow deep in some spots. • Melbourne Francis, who had been expected to testify in an attempted murder trial, was gunned down May 9 in the Stickett in East End. Mr. Francis had previously survived another shooting attempt in March 2011. • About 40 volunteers and VI history enthusiasts re-created the territory’s 1949 protest march calling for the removal of thenCommissioner J.A.C. Cruikshank and for the re-establishment of the territory’s representative body, the Legislative Council. • Other volunteers gave tours of Main Street for students in an effort to get them more interested in local history, making stops at the homes of some of the territory’s early leaders, a prison built in the 1700s, and the gravesite of
May 30, 2013
Photo: TODD VANSICKLE The Virgin Gorda boat Big Pimpin’ heads to Scrub Island, the second stop of the 12th annual Leverick Bay Poker Run, on May 26. The event boasted its largest turnout, 180 boats, and netted thousands of dollars for charity. a notorious British president of the VI, John Cornell Chads. • U.P.’s Cineplex owner Elton Leonard was sued for $10 million in past-due obligations for bank loans from First Caribbean International Bank Limited. • Many residents said they would prefer Smugglers Cove to stay the way it is at a meeting May 23 to present development plans
that included nine buildings for that beach. An architect’s drawings showed plans for an information centre, restrooms and vendors, although the officials didn’t say exactly how many vendors would be accommodated. • The BVI Health Services Authority was ordered to pay $75,000 in damages to the parents of a baby born at Peebles Hospital. The baby
girl died within hours of being born, but hospital staff accidentally disposed of the body before an autopsy could be performed, according to an Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court document. • A $90,000 renovation, the Belle Vue gym was re-opened May 28. Improvements included refurbished restrooms, light fixtures and a fresh coat of paint.
In the wake of a massive data leak in April, international scrutiny of offshore financial centres intensified leading up to this year’s G8 Summit in Lough Erne, Northern Island in May. For this reason, leaders of the United Kingdom’s overseas territories were called to London before the summit to meet with UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who, as the G8 head, had promised to make tax transparency a priority. After the pre-summit meeting, the Virgin Islands and other OTs committed to joining the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Multilateral Convention on Mutual Assistance on Tax and Administrative Matters, which the VI would later ratify on Nov. 21. At the September G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, the conversation was similar: World leaders pledged to work toward a system of automatic tax-information exchange. OECD officials said then that they expected the practice could be the norm by 2015. Meanwhile, the UK claims to be leading the transparency charge with plans to establish a public register of beneficial owners of companies, which would make it more difficult to use offshore structures to hide assets from governments. VI leaders, who are considering a similar step, have maintained that the territory conforms to all internationally recognised transparency standards. However, the same week that the VI joined the OECD convention in November, the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes named the territory and three other jurisdictions “non-compliant” when it comes to tax-information sharing. VI officials called the label unfair, claiming it was based on old data and did not reflect the territory’s latest policies. Financial Secretary Neil Smith has called on the forum to conduct a supplementary review, but it is unclear when or if this will happen.
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 7
Year in Review
JUNE 2013
June 6, 2013
June 13, 2013
June 20, 2013
AT A GLANCE...
• The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1. Officials at Colorado State University predicted that it would be an active season, with 18 named storms and an “above average probability for major hurricanes.” The season turned out to be much quieter than expected. • A new sea departure tax came into effect this month, raising the price from $5 for anyone leaving by sea to $10 for residents and $15 for visitors. • Environment Month was observed throughout much of the public sector under the theme Ending Food Waste. Activities kicked off with the Parade for the Planet. • On June 8 the territory celebrated the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II with regiments of uniformed officers and community groups gathering for a formal march-past and ceremony. • Government paid $201,000 to an architectural firm to settle an outstanding bill related to the territory’s greenhouses. Contract documents showed that Mirsand Town Planning and Architects Limited, in exchange for the payment, agreed to drop any present or potential claims against the government. • With a graduating class that included 56 men, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College set a record for male graduates at its June 13 graduation ceremony. A total of 203 students graduated. • Frangelina, a monohull sailboat, ran aground at Beef Island June 14. There were no injuries, but removing the vessel while protecting the reef in the area took salvage crews all weekend. • Of the 287 students to take the territory’s secondary school leaving exam, 252 passed, officials announced June 17. With 87.8 percent passing, students did slightly worse than in 2012, when
June 27, 2013
AIRPORT PLANS INCH AHEAD By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK Governor Boyd McCleary inspects a troupe of scouts during a ceremony to honour the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II June 8.
95 percent passed. • The VI Humane Society held its 37th dog show at Mulligan’s on Nanny Cay June 22. With 30 dogs participating, society volunteers said participation was down slightly from recent years. • Alcedo Tyson was found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Kawanna Todd-Rymer.
When High Court Justice Albert Redhead read out the verdict, he called Mr. Tyson an “evil man.” • Nineteen students graduated from a yearlong technical and vocational programme at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, receiving certificates in home wiring, air conditioning, hotel and restaurant skills, computer and of-
fice skills, or plumbing. • Government announced that the Queen Elizabeth II Park in Road Town would be restored and expanded. The 2013 budget included $1.2 million for improvements at the park, which is to get a jogging track, a fountain, and a new children’s play area, among other amenities.
Government’s ambitious plan to expand the runway at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport to handle larger jets slowly inched forward in 2013, but construction still hasn’t started. During the 2011 election campaign, the National Democratic Party repeatedly touted the project as an integral part of the territory’s tourism strategy for the medium- and long-term. The cries intensified after American Eagle Airline’s announcement last year that the carrier was pulling its ATR-72 aircraft from the region, prompting smaller carriers like Seaborne Airlines and Cape Air to try to fill the gap. However, the pullout has only moderately affected seat capacity into the Virgin Islands, according to BVI Tourist Board Director Sharon Flax-Mars. “Yes, we’ve had our challenges, and any destination would have had challenges given what American Eagle meant to us,” she said in a November interview. Meanwhile, efforts to choose a contractor to add 2,500 feet to the airport runway continue but are significantly behind schedule. Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering, whose Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour is overseeing the project, initially pledged that a contractor would be chosen by December 2012. But in July, the three bids submitted from contractors ranged from $377 million to $415 million — a far cry from the originally envisioned $37 million estimate — causing government to reconsider its plans, Dr. Pickering said. The proposal to place the runway on elevated piles was a large reason for the high cost, he added, and contractors have been asked to submit new bids that will see the runway built on reclaimed land.
Page 8 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | The BVI Beacon
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2013: Cartoons
Jan. 17
Feb. 28
March 7
April 11
May 23
June 6
2013: Cartoons
July 4
Aug. 22
Sept. 19
Oct. 24
Nov. 14
Dec. 5
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 11
Page 12 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
JULY 2013
July 4, 2013
July 11, 2013
July 18, 2013
July 25, 2013
STILL WAITING ON THE CENSUS By ERIC VOORHIS evoorhis@bvibeacon.com Specific information about the age, income and education level of the Virgin Islands population will make census data especially valuable, according to officials. However, it’s not clear when that information will be available. Although work has been done — including a general count of the population — Raymond Phillips, the director of the Development Planning Unit, hasn’t given a firm date on when a final report on census information would be ready. During a Government Information Services programme in July, Mr. Phillips said the census-taking process isn’t easy. “I want to say that I’m thanking those persons that actually cooperated with us,” he said. “We had a lot of prob-
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG During the 40th BVI/USVI Friendship Day on Virgin Gorda, residents perform a play depicting how people lived decades ago in this territory and the United States Virgin Islands.
AT A GLANCE... • Residents celebrated Territory Day on July 1 at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park. • In a message broadcast on July 5, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith announced plans to refinance some of the territory’s debt, which he said should make available “at least $100 million” in ad-
ON THE WEB Virgin Islands companies are helping to recover funds lost in Allen Stanford’s massive Ponzi scheme. Go to bvibeacon.com to read a special report on their progress.
ditional funding. • Hundreds of students across the territory participated in graduation ceremonies in late June and
early July. • HMS Lancaster, a 133-metre Royal Navy frigate, stopped in the territory as part of a six-month deployment in the region. • A judge allowed a judicial review of government’s decision to re-issue an order to extradite several residents accused of cocaine trafficking. A hearing slated for next year is expected to decide whether or not the men will be sent to the United States to face trial.
• Alcedo Tyson, who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, was sentenced to life without parole on July 12. Mr. Tyson allegedly waited outside a Baughers Bay nightclub before shooting Kawanna Todd-Rymer in the neck and then kneeling over her body to fire again. • During a House of Assembly meeting on July 17, the premier said the entirety of the government’s $45 million loan from Banco Popular may go toward the new hospital. Originally, $15 million of the loan was slated to go towards the National Sewerage Project, and $30 million to the hospital. • An undisclosed number of Long Bay Beach Resort workers lost their jobs as a result of downsizing and restructuring. Hugh Robertson, the resort’s general manager, said that Long Bay’s parent company, the Antigua-based Elite Resorts, felt that it had no choice but to change its business model given low visitor traffic into the VI and
lems, you know. Unfortunately, there were some persons that opted not to cooperate for whatever reasons. “That makes me kind of sad in the sense that this exercise is so important. And it’s not only important for policymakers. It’s important for students, business owners, you name it — anybody who is into using information to inform whatever decisions they make.” At the time, Mr. Phillips said the DPU was still in the process of scanning questionnaires to extract more detailed information. This month, a representative at DPU said that process is still ongoing. Between 8,500 and 9,000 households participated in the census, according to Mr. Phillips. When the exercise was launched in July 2010, officials estimated that it would take about three months to gather all the data. the state of the economy. • Government filed a lawsuit against the BVI Electricity Corporation seeking more than $190,000 in damages. The lawsuit alleged that the power company was “negligent” when it spilled “waste oil” at its Pockwood Pond facility and polluted the nearby environment. • In a special report tabled during an HOA meeting, Complaints Commissioner Elton Georges called the territory’s system of granting residency status a “game of chance.” • Opposition member Julian Fraser (R-D3) failed at an attempt to prompt a vote of no confidence against the National Democratic Party government. The motion was defeated 7-2 on July 28, with Mr. Fraser and opposition colleague Andrew Fahie (R-D1) casting the only supporting votes. • Residents celebrated with their USVI counterparts during the 40th anniversary of USVI/BVI Friendship Day on July 29.
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 13
Year in Review
AUGUST 2013 AT A GLANCE... • The Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee dubbed the 2013 August Emancipation Festival a success. The August Monday Parade included 45 entries, and the concerts, tramps and other events went on as planned with few adverse incidents. Festival entertainment at the Oliver Skelton Festiville featured local and international performers.
ON THE WEB This month marked the 10-year anniversary of the repeal of the so-called “Rasta Law.” Go to bvibeacon.com to read a special report that revisited the controversial legislation and looked back over the succeeding decade.
• High Court Justice Albert Redhead reluctantly traversed the trial of former legislator Andre Penn because Mr. Penn had a matter pending before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal. Mr. Penn’s trial later got under way during an in camera session in the October assizes. • Robelteen Smith, the territory’s oldest resident, marked her 105th birthday with a family celebration on Aug. 12. • In a special report tabled before the House of Assembly, Complaints Commissioner Elton Georges pushed for the formation of a labour tribunal. According to the Labour Code, disputes that cannot be resolved by the labour commissioner or the minister of natural resources and labour must be referred to the tribunal. • Cleaners worked for several days to contain an oil spill in Road Town on Aug. 15. Rain delayed the cleanup process, which involved lifting up much of the sidewalk over a ghut in the capital city. • Premier Dr. Orlando Smith announced on Aug. 20 that government had chosen two firms with
Aug. 1, 2013
Aug. 15, 2013
Aug. 22, 2013
Aug. 29, 2013
PLANS UNDER WAY FOR 2014 FESTIVAL By NGOVOU GYANG ngyang@bvibeacon.com Next year’s August Emancipation Festival will be the territory’s 60th, and organisers hope to do it right. To that end, they started planning shortly after this year’s celebrations. In September, a committee was formed to help advise Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn on plans for the anniversary activities. In a House of Assembly sitting, Mr. Walwyn said a renewed focus on culture is essential next year, and he called for a review of Festival events held annually around the territory. “It creates a new opportunity to do things differently and to perhaps look at how the Festival at East End is being done at this time, considering the very rich culture and the role that Nottingham Estate played in everything,” Mr. Walwyn said. For the 2014 celebration, the VIFFC is hoping for more participation from community groups, especially schools, according to Lynette Harrigan, the committee’s public relations officer. “We are already putting measures in place to get more people involved,” Ms. Harrigan said shortly after this year’s Festival concluded. “So we have a year of hard work to do.” which to “move forward” with discussions on Prospect Reef Resort. He has since said that the United Kingdom-based firm McAlpine was chosen, and will invest up to $100 million in the resort. • During a community meeting on Aug. 22, Dr. Cassander Titley-O’Neal, an environmental consultant, said government’s proposal to lengthen and widen the territory’s cruise ship pier, dredge a portion of Road Harbour, and reclaim four acres of
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Moko jumbies were among nearly 45 entries in the August Monday Parade this year.
nearby land can be undertaken without major damage to the marine environment. • Rastafarians in the territory marked the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Rasta Law. • Four United Kingdom students known as the KX Kayakers
paddled to the Virgin Islands from St. Maarten as part of a kayaking trip from Grenada to Puerto Rico to raise funds for cancer-related charities. • The Rotary Club of Tortola made a donation to Delroy Gordon, a deaf Virgin Islander study-
ing at Gallaudet University in Washington. • During a professional development day for teachers on Aug. 26, Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn vowed to implement changes to school leaving examinations.
Page 14 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
SEPTEMBER 2013
Sept. 5, 2013
Sept. 12, 2013
Sept. 19, 2013
Sept. 26, 2013
$100M HOTEL DEAL PLANNED By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Kamau Georges gives new Elmore Stoutt High School students a tour of the campus during an orientation session at the start of the school year.
AT A GLANCE... • Chaim Todman died and another man was seriously injured in a boat accident near Jost Van Dyke Sept. 1. The 21-foot boat was heading out of White Bay when both occupants were ejected, police said. • France added the Virgin Islands to a list of jurisdictions that it claimed are uncooperative in sharing tax information. “When I saw the news, I was really shocked, because we have done the necessary things,” Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said in a press conference. • Elmore Stoutt High School registered close to 1,400 students
for the new school year. • Students and teachers at ESHS celebrated World Literacy Day under the theme “Invent Your Future.” • Cleanup began on Carrot Shoals six months after a megayacht ran aground in the area and spilled tonnes of lead shot onto the reef and surrounding seabed. • Residents of Brandywine Bay attended a public meeting on Sept. 12 to discuss plans for the beach and road in their neighbourhood. Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering said development in the area cannot happen unless the road is moved away from the beach. • On Sept. 16, the Court of Appeal began its third VI sitting for the year.
• The 2013-2014 law year opened on Sept. 17 during a ceremony held at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex. Chief Justice Dame Janice Pereira delivered a speech highlighting the importance of the justice system to the region’s economy. • Nearly 200 residents participated in a walk and run held as part of Caribbean Wellness Day observed on Sept. 18. • Eileene Parsons, a former government minister, received an Order of the British Empire award during a ceremony at Government House on Sept. 20. • Kirtis Kassandra Malone represented the territory at the Miss World Pageant in Indonesia. On Sept. 22, she captured
fourth place in the competition’s talent segment. • Special Olympics athletes and other residents marched from Government House to the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park on Sept. 28 as part of efforts to raise funds for Special Olympians. • Across the water in the United States VI, a former law enforcement officer pleaded guilty on Sept. 24 to using a government agency to traffic drugs. Roberto Tapia was arrested in May after a surveillance operation and allegedly caught with seven kilograms of cocaine after a drug deal with two Puerto Rican men off the coast of St. Thomas, according to the Associated Press.
Premier Dr. Orlando Smith has made no secret of his government’s plans to encourage private investment in the territory’s tourism industry. During his government’s 2003-2007 term, agreements were inked with developers to build resorts at sites such as Beef Island, Scrub Island, Oil Nut Bay and Smugglers Cove. Some of those proposals got under way quickly; others never came to fruition. During this term in office, Dr. Smith has continued development efforts, announcing at a November press conference that the United Kingdom-based Sir Robert McAlpine Group may invest as much as $100 million into the government-owned Prospect Reef Resort. Company officials haven’t spoken publicly of the plans, which Dr. Smith said are still the subject of negotiations. Those negotiations, though, may face a major stumbling block. A group of nearly 400 former timeshare owners, who lost access to the resort in 2005, claim they are due $3-$5 million in compensation from the government and may sue to recover it. Dr. Smith said at the press conference that government has no outstanding obligations to members of the Prospect Reef Vacation Club, a group of mostly American vacationers who reportedly bought timeshares from companies owned by former Chief Minister Cyril Romney. But the club members claim their contracts were with the resort, not with Mr. Romney’s companies. Therefore, they have to be fulfilled by government or any future owner, Bruce Lynskey, a representative of the group, said in November. No lawsuit has yet been filed and government’s negotiations with the McAlpine group continue, Dr. Smith said.
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 15
Year in Review
OCTOBER 2013
Oct. 3, 2013
Oct. 10, 2013
Oct. 17, 2013
Oct. 24, 2013
Oct. 31, 2013
CONTROVERSY DOGS CRUISE PIER PROJECT By JASON SMITH
jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photos: MARK SANDERS A fire at Pirates Bight restaurant on Norman Island destroyed the building. A smaller restaurant has since been rebuilt, and a bigger one is in the works.
AT A GLANCE... • A fire that began at about 7 a.m. on Oct. 1 destroyed Pirates Bight restaurant on Norman Island. Marine police transported firefighters and their equipment to the scene and the fire was contained within 15 minutes of their arrival. Although the restaurant was completely destroyed, other structures in the vicinity weren’t damaged. Plans were announced to rebuild the restaurant by early 2014. • In early October, ten officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force received training to use Taser stun guns, a new addition to the force’s arsenal. The weapons, however, are not yet in use. • Governor Boyd McCleary delivered the Speech from the Throne on Oct. 7 and listed the
ON THE WEB The cruise ship pier partnership was controversial from the time it was announced. See bvibeacon.com for a special report on the issue. 24 bills that passed in the House of Assembly since the National Democratic Party gained control of government in November 2011. Among them were the Social Security Act, the Non-profit Organisations Act, and the Social Security Act. Mr. McCleary also listed legislation that he said was being developed, including freedom of information laws, tougher gun penalties, and a regulated public assistance programme. • During the same HOA sitting, a new Mental Health Policy was laid on the table for review.
According to Dr. Virginia Rubaine, director of Community Mental Health Services, the policy, which outlines essential mental health services, was “long overdue.” • Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool addressed a crowd of taxi drivers on Oct. 17, after the announcement that Carnival Cruise Lines, which brought more than 53,000 visitors in 2013, would not stop in the Virgin Islands during the 20142015 season. • Speaking to reporters at a press conference the same day, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith announced an initiative to encourage tourists to spend more money in the Virgin Islands. The Immigration Department, he said, was working on developing a landing permit that would allow tourists to stay for up to eight weeks. Dr. Smith
explained that the goal of the permit is to “allow visitors to explore the BVI over an extended period.” • A customs officer was sent on leave pending an investigation into an allegation of assault made by a South Korean journalist on Oct. 24. The journalist, who claimed the officers pushed and choked him, videotaped parts of the incident with his cell phone. • After a two-week trial, Rodney Simmonds Jr. and Yan Edwards were found guilty of conspiring to murder Melbourne Francis on March 13, 2011. Mr. Francis was shot multiple times that night while driving through Nottingham Estate. He survived that attack, only to be shot to death in May 2013 while Messrs. Edwards and Simmonds were in prison awaiting trial.
Chatter on news websites and talk on the streets of the Virgin Islands this year frequently focused on government’s efforts to develop Road Town’s cruise ship pier and the unexpected collapse of a collaboration with Tortola Ports Partners. That deal, a partnership with the BVI Ports Authority, would have seen TPP, a consortium of three United States-based firms, invest some $75 million to extend the dock to accept larger ships and develop a piece of nearby land. The procurement process for that deal has been heavily criticised, first by Royal Caribbean Cruises Senior Vice President John Tercek, who alleged the process favoured TPP. Then came a review of the project from the Office of the Auditor General, which alleged that the bidding process “largely ignored” proper procedure. And in September, weeks after Cabinet approved the partnership, the deal fell apart for reasons that are still disputed among the partners. Premier Dr. Orlando Smith and Hugh Darley, a designer with IDEA Orlando and a TPP member, claimed that the failure came after TPP didn’t come through with the necessary funding. But Jim Triplett, the CEO of TPP partner United Infrastructure Group, said his company was surprised by government’s termination of the agreement because the firm needed only three more weeks before the funding was ready. In the wake of the failure, Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool has said that the BVIPA will continue on its own with the pier extension and development, which he hopes will be in place for the 2014/2015 cruise season. That won’t be soon enough for Carnival Cruise Lines: Upset over government’s proposed grant of preferential berthing rights to rivals Norwegian and Disney cruise lines, Carnival announced it would stop calling in the VI in late 2014. Other lines have followed suit, prompting fears about the industry’s future in the territory.
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The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 17
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Year in Review
NOVEMBER 2013
Nov. 7, 2013
Nov. 14, 2013
Nov. 21, 2013
Nov. 28, 2013
AT A GLANCE... • A report from the Office of the Auditor General alleged that government’s efforts to select a private-sector partner for the cruise pier development didn’t follow standard processes used to ensure that public projects are handled prudently and transparently. The report was leaked to media outlets in early November.
ON THE WEB Nov. 7 marked the National Democratic Party’s twoyear anniversary in office. See bvibeacon.com for a fivepart special report investigating the government’s progress at midterm. • The new hospital was handed over to government on Nov. 1. Communications and Works Minister Ronnie Skelton said that tenders had been issued to begin the final steps of completing the hospital: furnishing and moving in to the new building. Mr. Skelton said the facility is expected to open in March. • A legal battle broke out between Scrub Island Resort developers and FirstBank Puerto Rico, which claims the developers defaulted on more than $100 million in loan payments. Legal proceedings are ongoing. • Nearly 80 boats showed up for the opening of the Charter Yacht Society’s 32nd annual boat show on Nov. 7. • The massive Typhoon Haiyan ploughed though the central Philippines on Nov. 8. The storm killed more than 5,600 people and left about 1,700 missing and 3.8 million displaced, according to reports. In the Virgin Islands, several efforts raised funds for victims. • Premier Dr. Orlando Smith announced on Nov. 11 that a large
Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK Conservation biologist Kelly Bradley shows a Claudia Creque Educational Centre student how to properly hold an Anegada rock iguana before releasing it into the wild on Nov. 15. United Kingdom-based developer, the Sir Robert McAlpine Group, is in negotiations with government to invest as much as $100 million to redevelop the Prospect Reef Resort. Meanwhile, representatives from a group of nearly 400 former timeshare owners who
lost access to the resort in 2005 said the group might consider a lawsuit for compensation. • A dozen Anegada rock iguanas were released into the uninhabited western end of the sister island on Nov. 15 by the National Parks Trust, which was assisted by
students of the Claudia Creque Educational Centre. • The Beacon launched a fivepart special report examining the accomplishments of the National Democratic Party at its midterm. • The Virgin Islands was labelled “non-compliant” with international
standards for transparency and taxinformation exchange. Out of 50 jurisdictions to undergo a two-state review by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, Cyprus, Luxembourg,The Seychelles and the VI were deemed non-compliant.
HOSPITAL EXPECTED IN FIRST QUARTER, NHI BY MIDYEAR By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com After years of delays, the new hospital and the planned National Health Insurance programme are both expected to come on stream next year, Health and Social Development Minister Ronnie Skelton said in a November interview. The hospital, he said, is expected to open and begin serving patients in March.
In October, government requested tenders for “an integrated programme for bringing the hospital building, plant and equipment to a state of readiness for operational use” and for the plan to move staff and patients in to the new hospital. The deadline to submit bids was Nov. 12. Mr. Skelton said last month that several bids had been received and that the ministry was evaluating them. NHI, meanwhile, still needs to be debated by legislators in the House of Assembly. Mr. Skelton said he expects
that to happen before the end of the year. Once the law is passed, officials will set out a timeline for employers and employees to begin paying the expected combined seven percent of wages per employee. He expects NHI to begin operating by mid-2014. Although officials had previously planned to collect fees for a period of three months before residents could begin receiving services under the system, Mr. Skelton now thinks that won’t be necessary, and that interim funding will be provided by a short-term loan.
Year in Review
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | Page 19
DECEMBER 2013
Dec. 5, 2013
Dec. 12, 2013
WORK PLANNED FOR
CDB PROJECTS By ERIC VOORHIS evoorhis@bvibeacon.com The Caribbean Development Bank
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Claudius Sam, a chef at Potter’s by the Sea, shows off lobsters from his fish pot during the first Anegada Lobster Festival.
AT A GLANCE... • The inaugural Anegada Lobster Festival, which coincided with the territory’s second Restaurant Week, ended on Dec. 1. The event was deemed a success by many, drawing nearly 800 people who visited the sister island from ferries for the two-day festival. • A Virgin Islands sloop, which the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society spent roughly 10 years building, was launched the same day on JVD. The Endeavour
II was constructed largely with traditional boat-building methods, with the help of local youths. • Construction began on a new seawater pump station in Paraquita Bay that will link intake pipes with a new desalination plant that has yet to be completed. The plant will produce the 2.3 million imperial gallons of water per day that government has agreed to purchase from the firm. • After being found guilty of conspiracy to murder, Yan Edwards was sentenced to 12 years in prison for shooting Melbourne Francis in Nottingham Estate on March 13,
2011. Co-defendant Rodney Simmonds Jr. received a five-year sentence. Mr. Francis survived the shooting, only to be shot to death in May of this year while Messrs. Edwards and Simmonds were in prison awaiting trial. • On Dec. 3, Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards dismissed charges against Lester DeCastro and Isaac Caena, who were accused of drug offences relating to a 28.57-kilogram coke seizure off JVD in November 2011. Both men’s attorneys made successful no-case submissions. • Christmas on Main Street
drew residents and visitors on Dec. 7-8. Although numbers were down slightly this year, the annual event, which was founded 14 years ago by the Association for the Advancement of Small Business, was “very successful,” organisers said. • A Celebration of Life Concert was held on Dec. 10 to mark International Human Rights Day. The event began with a large group of students, parents, and teachers marching down Waterfront Drive in the name of nonviolence. The concert followed in the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park.
approved a $15.7 million loan in 2011 after damage caused by the heavy rains of Tropical Storm Otto the year before. After several delays, some of that money finally will be put to use starting in January, as drainage repairs get under way in Parham Town, according to officials. Dr. Drexel Glasgow, who oversees the CDB loan project for the Ministry of Communications and Works, said the area has been prone to flooding because of poor drainage. During a community meeting on Nov. 4, design consultant Gilbert Fontenard, who is based in St. Lucia, explained projected improvements to Parham Town. A slideshow depicted how narrow, unlevel roads, property walls and other problems lead to standing water in some areas. The work is set to start in January and should take about six months to complete, Mr. Fontenard said. The work is extensive and will likely be an inconvenience for community members, he added. The House of Assembly voted to accept the loan in July 2011, and United Kingdom officials approved the project in May 2012. Other locations slated for works under the CDB loan include Jost Van Dyke, Cane Garden Bay, Pockwood Pond, Palestina, Ballast Bay, Windy Hill, Long Trench and Virgin Gorda’s Lee Road.
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