Page 2 | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
JANUARY 2014
Jan. 9, 2014
Jan. 16, 2014
Jan. 23, 2014
Jan. 30, 2014
AT A GLANCE...
GOV’T FOCUSES ON
• Four babies were born on New Year’s Day. At 2:14 a.m. on Jan. 1, Meycri Bautista-Mendoza welcomed her son Andy, the first baby born in the Virgin Islands in 2014. Andy was soon joined by three other newborns — the most babies born on the first day of the year since 2009. • A proposal to double alcohol import duties was made public in government’s medium-term fiscal plan. If it passes, the increase would bring in an estimated $15.9 million in 2015. • The Walters Recreational Park on Virgin Gorda opened in time for the New Year. Construction of the facility began in March 2013 and cost more than $700,000. • The VI joined the list of Caribbean countries with confirmed cases of the mosquitoborne virus chikungunya. • On Jan. 10, the territory signed a memorandum on understanding with Shenzhen, China aimed at fostering discussions about “common concerns” such as tourism, financial services, and culture, officials said at the time. • Rosewood Little Dix Bay resort celebrated its 50th anniversary on the same day. • During the budget address on Jan.12 Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said that government would earn a projected $301,746,00 in revenue. • Malik Aaron, a 22-year-old resident of Havers, died after losPhoto: NGOVOU GYANG ing control of a scooter near the Terrance B. Lettsome Interna- Red Cross volunteer Maria Jederon organises blood samples collected from men during the organisation’s annual prostate tional Airport on Jan. 19. It was cancer screening held in January at the Red Cross headquarters. the second fatal scooter accident in less than a month. Mr. Aaron beginning in 2015, according to • Articles published by the ously objected to the depiction at wasn’t wearing a helmet at the officials. Washington DC-headquartered the time. time of the accident, police said. • Glenn “Supercop” Callwood • A Newcastle University- International Consortium of In• Government signed a 15- based study on the condition of vestigative Journalists portrayed was found guilty of indecent asyear cruise deal with Disney and coral reefs in the VI was intro- the VI as a “tax haven” extensively sault following a trial in MagisNorwegian cruise lines on Jan. 17. duced during a community meet- used by China’s politicians and trates’ Court. The charges were The agreement guaranteed that ing in East End/Long Look on wealthy elite to “hide” their money. brought after he allegedly grabbed the lines will bring 425,000 pas- Jan. 22. VI government officials strenu- a co-worker’s testicles. sengers to the territory annually
PLANNING By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com It’s happening gradually, but government officials are beginning to budget and plan beyond the traditional 12month cycle. In January, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith unveiled a budget predicted to bring in $301 million in revenue in 2014. Accompanying it were financial projections for the next three years, part of an effort to bring more predictability and a longer-term focus to the process. Additionally, for the second year in a row, the 2014 budget included a list of specific “outputs” assigned to government agencies. January also saw the publication of government’s first Medium-Term Fiscal Plan, a document that sets out priorities and links them to a detailed strategy of how to fund and execute capital projects over several years. The document provides extensive detail about the Virgin Islands’ past and projected economic performance and describes government’s efforts to diversify its revenues by adding new fees and taxes. In November, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith tabled the 2015 MTFP, asserting that the gross domestic product grew by 2.5 percent in 2013 compared to the one-to-three-percent contraction that originally was forecast. Throughout the year, National Democratic Party leaders pointed to their handling of government finances as a major accomplishment, but opposition members retorted that the protocols are enforced selectively and that low-income and middle-class citizens haven’t yet benefitted from the economic recovery.
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 3
Year in Review
FEBRUARY 2014
Feb. 6, 2014
Feb. 13, 2014
Feb. 20, 2014
Feb. 27, 2014
AT A GLANCE... • Participants of a wreathlaying ceremony on Feb. 1 met at Wickhams Cay and poured libations in memory of enslaved Africans who died while crossing the Atlantic Ocean during the Middle Passage. • The Virgin Islands was named the world’s fourth largest source of foreign direct investment, surpassing countries including the United Kingdom and Brazil. • More than 100 delegates — including representatives of 12 Caribbean countries — met at Mosquito Island for a three-day climate change summit to discuss the need for more alternative energy sources in the Caribbean. • Rotarians from the VI welcomed another club to what they call the “Rotary family.” The Rotaract Club of Virgin Gorda joined several existing Rotary and Rotaract clubs in the territory. • A 63-year-old fisherman, Jose Angel Titley, died on Feb. 10 after a boat collision in Baughers Bay. • The House of Assembly passed the 2014 Appropriations Act on Feb. 11. Opposition members declined to participate in the public debate about the 2014 budget because they were not satisfied with the budget and government’s handling of it. • Regional and international press freedom groups raised concerns about a pending cybercrime bill that was introduced in the House of Assembly. At the time, the groups were concerned the bill would threaten free speech due to harsh penalties associated with publishing confidential computer data. • On Feb. 18, Virgin Islander Adam Crook competed in the men’s ski half-pipe event during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. It was the first time a VIslander was represented in the
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Participants at a wreath-laying ceremony at Wickhams Cay pour libations in memory of enslaved Africans who died crossing the Atlantic Ocean during the Middle Passage. Winter Olympics since 1984. • Government inked an $819,848 contract with G-Unit Construction to repair the Pleasant Valley Bridge in Palestina,
which was severely damaged during Tropical Storm Otto in 2010. It was the first major project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank loan approved
by the United Kingdom in 2012. • During Police Week at the end of April, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force introduced a new initiative that placed one
“community officer” in each of seven different areas of Tortola.
Climate Change Trust Fund Act, but asked government to reconsider the fee structure, asking that fees be simplified and spread out more evenly amongst the population so that the territory wouldn’t get a reputation among visitors as being tax heavy. The act — which is designed in part to help the territory qualify for international grants — has yet to come to the House of Assembly for a first reading, but it is expected to be finalised early next year.
In addition to that law, 2015 may also bring more renewable energy throughout the territory. In September, Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool said that a new energy law that would allow residents to produce their own renewable energy was in its final phases. Next year will also see the BVI Electricity Corporation issuing requests for proposals to install solar panels on some government buildings, according to government.
CLIMATE CHANGE COMES HOME By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com Recent years have brought increasingly grim warnings from scientists and the United Nations about the potential effects of climate change, with some experts now predicting that greenhouse gas emissions may need to be completely eliminated in order to prevent irreversible negative impacts on the environment. Virgin Islands leaders and others in the re-
gion seem to have taken this message to heart, coming together for regional meetings like the one hosted by Sir Richard Branson in February, where ten countries and territories agreed to work with Sir Richard’s Carbon War Room to increase their use of renewable energy. Here, leaders are also working on the territory’s first climate change legislation, which would create a trust fund to support programmes to help offset local impacts. In consultations in January, some stakeholders were supportive of a draft
Page 4 | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
MARCH 2014 AT A GLANCE... • After several years in development, a law enforcement network of 16 closed-circuit video cameras took a step closer to being active with the passage of the Authorisation of Surveillance Devices Act, 2013. • The United States State Department released a list of “major money laundering countries,” naming the Virgin Islands as one of many “jurisdictions of primary concern.” • About 30 stakeholders from the tourism and fishing industries and several government departments gathered for a meeting on the future of coral reefs in the territory. Speakers included Newcastle University professor Dr. Selina Stead, who led a study of coral reefs in the territory and made recommendations to help reduce people’s impact on them. • Industry officials announced that ferry ticket prices to St. Thomas would rise by $5 due to fee increases from the USVI Port Authority. • The House of Assembly unanimously approved the Cybercrime Act, 2014, on March 13. Although several legislators defended the bill — saying it will protect the territory against computer criminals and child pornographers — opponents said it could adversely affect the right of freedom of expression and subject journalists to large fines and prison time. • A Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Strategy was laid on the table in the House of Assembly. The plan outlined several recommended moves for the territory, including the creation of a composting programme, a statutory board to oversee solid waste, and a pollution management programme at the Pockwood Pond incinerator. • The murder trial for Jessroy McKelly began on March 17 in the High Court. Mr. McKelly was charged with the shooting death of Kareem Sebastian on Aug. 24, 2008 in the Crab Lot area. He was later found guilty.
March 6, 2014
March 13, 2014
March 20, 2014
March 27, 2014
BILL THREATENING PRESS FREEDOM PASSED, REVISED By JASON SMITH
jsmith@bvibeacon.com The number of business companies formed by the territory’s financial services sector continued to fall off in 2014, raising concerns about the industry’s future. As part of efforts to protect the sector, legislators passed — and, amid an international outcry, eventually amended — a bill that would have given lengthy prison terms and fines to anyone who published computer data that was “unlawfully obtained.” The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act was passed in March despite media outlets’ fears that Section 13, which criminalised publication, would have chilling effects on press freedom. The bill’s supporters said the section was needed in part due to journalists’ use of private Virgin Islands trust company files to write stories that harmed the sector’s reputation in 2013. But after media outlets and press freedom advocacy groups criticised the bill, thenGovernor Boyd McCleary delayed his assent until legislators revised it to include a measure exempting publishers of unlawfully obtained material “in the public interest” from prosecution. Meanwhile, the financial services sector had a difficult year in 2014, with the first six months of the year seeing nearly 3,600 fewer companies formed compared to 2013. Also, discussions with France have yet to see the VI removed from the country’s “blacklist” of non-cooperative jurisdictions. In spite of the many challenges, efforts to boost the sector’s reputation also occurred. For example, in October the VI signed on to a global plan to automatically exchange tax information with foreign governments. And in January Premier Dr. Orlando Smith inked a cooperation agreement with the Chinese city of Shenzhen, and has pledged to forge closer links with Asian countries in the years to come
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Michael Wheatley, a client at Sandy Lane Centre, ties bags of garbage collected during a cleanup at Waterfront Drive. • Twenty racing “superyachts” — all of which were more than 100 feet long — gathered at the fourth annual Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous on March 19. It was the event’s biggest turnout since it began.
• Government contracted a VI company to install sewage collection pipes between Chapel Hill and Fat Hogs Bay in East End/Long Look. The contract with W&W Reliable Construction was worth $1,447,851.
• The National Parks Trust and representatives from the Royal Botanic Gardens continued to map some of the rarest plants in the VI in a project funded by Darwin Plus, a United Kingdom fund for overseas territories.
Year in Review
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 5
APRIL 2014
April 3, 2014
April 10, 2014
April 17, 2014
AT A GLANCE... • The House of Assembly passed the Status of Children Act. The law tossed out a system based on the 1929 Legitimacy Act, which created legal distinctions between children whose parents are married and those born out of wedlock. • The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival drew some 3,500 visitors to Nanny Cay during the first week of April, organisers said. • An attorney in the territory for more than 50 years, J.S. Archibald, QC, died in his home on April 3, prompting an outpouring of condolences from leaders locally and around the region. He was 80. • Hundreds of residents ran, walked, and swam alongside the Queen’s baton when it made a visit to the territory on April 4. The baton contained Queen Elizabeth II’s speech that was read to athletes during the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July. • A fire destroyed the Wickhams Cay building that housed the Margaritaville Italiano restaurant and the Tree House bar on April 8. • Industry leaders claimed that a proposed change in an American maritime safety law could open the Virgin Islands’ yacht tourism sector to a new wave of competition from the United States VI. Currently, bareboat charters operating out of the USVI can carry only six passengers. A new amendment to allow vessels to carry up to 12 passengers has passed both houses of Congress, but still needs the president’s signature to become law. • Organisers announced the cancellation of the BVI Music Festival, blaming financial constraints and government’s deci-
April 24, 2014
INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS PROGRESS IN 2014 By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photo: TODD VANSICKLE Latisha Claxton, front, leads the Island Revelry troupe in front of hundreds of people who turned out to see the Easter parade on Virgin Gorda. sion not to provide “major sponsorship” as it had in the past. • Fourteen government agencies publicly signed an agreement on April 10 pledging to work together to prevent money laundering and other illicit activities in the VI. • After years of work compiling environmental, historical and cultural information about various
islands in the territory, the Island Resources Foundation announced in April it is tackling the largest and most difficult study — the one covering Tortola. • After a brief debate, lawmakers authorised the government on April 17 to borrow up to $57 million to finance improvements to the territory’s water and sewer systems and
docks, and to outfit the new hospital with equipment. • Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool signed a $30.7 million contract with IDL Project Inc./Meridian Construction Company that will see 1,300 feet added to the territory’s cruise ship pier, calling it a “red letter day” in the territory’s history.
At the start of 2014, planners at the Ministry of Finance predicted that government would spend more than $63.7 million to improve rundown infrastructure across the Virgin Islands. Actual spending figures haven’t been published, but they likely fell far short of that projection due in part to a failure to start planned projects including the airport expansion on Beef Island. Of the 16 projects in government’s Medium Term Fiscal Plan that were scheduled to start this year, visible construction only occurred on seven, though contracts were signed and planning began on several others. Major contributors to economic activity this year included pipe laying in Road Town and East End/Long Look as part of sewerage improvements; millions of dollars spent outfitting the new Peebles Hospital; and the cruise ship pier extension. Opposition legislators, however, argued strenuously that small contractors weren’t benefitting. One stalled project, an effort to allow greenhouses in Paraquita Bay to operate, could begin in January, Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering said recently. Financing for many of the projects came through two loans — a $22 million general infrastructure loan, and a $35 million loan to fund the cruise pier expansion — both of which were approved by the House of Assembly in April. In addition to those projects, work also progressed on a series of road repairs, new drainage solutions, and other reconstructive works needed to fix infrastructure damaged in the October 2010 rains. Work on some of those projects, which is being funded by a $15.67 million loan from the Caribbean Development Bank, is expected to continue into 2015.
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Year in Review
MAY 2014
May 1, 2014
May 8, 2014
May 15, 2014
May 22, 2014
AT A GLANCE... • The H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Singers, consisting of students and faculty members, performed for the first time on May 2. • After the closing of the tourist season, hotels and marinas in the territory expressed cautious optimism, backed by reports of a jump in overnight visitors. However, reports from businesses serving cruise ship visitors weren’t as positive. • A High Court judge quashed a regulator’s finding that the mobile phone provider Digicel engaged in anti-competitive behaviours against its smaller competitor CCT Global Communications. • The University of the Virgin Islands and H. Lavity Stoutt Community College signed a memorandum of understanding during an Inter-VI Council meeting on May 9 at Maria’s by the Sea. The partnership is designed to foster collaboration between the schools’ faculties and create a smoother transition for students wishing to transfer from HLSCC to UVI. • Trained police officers were armed with stun guns and pepper spray. During a press conference, police touted the weapons as a non-lethal alternative to guns. • A delegation from the VI attended the Caribbean Hotel and Resort Investment Summit in Miami. The meetings focused largely on opportunities to bring a five-star resort and conference centre to the territory, officials said. • Academic research released on May 12 estimated that the VI environment has an economic value of at least $194 million per year in tourist dollars alone, a finding that could help to draft environmental management policies, according to officials. • A storm drenched the territory with five inches of rain that caused a dozen residents to
May 29, 2014
HOSPITAL SCHEDULED TO OPEN THIS WEEK NHI expected next year By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Workers erect a fence on the site of the cruise ship pier’s landside development. The marine construction — which includes making the pier wider, long and stronger — is being done by IDL Projects Incorporated, according to government. leave their homes and seek temporary accommodations when a retaining wall collapsed at Georges North Side. • Opposition Leader Ralph O’Neal announced on May 27 that he doesn’t intend to run in
the territory’s next election. Mr. O’Neal, who has been representing Virgin Gorda since 1975, is the longest serving representative in the VI. • In a move officials said will help protect the VI’s fragile marine
ecosystems, all the waters surrounding the territory were designated a sanctuary for sharks and rays. • The first BVI Exquisite Boat Show was held at Scrub Island on May 24. Roughly 300 people attended, according to organisers.
After years of construction and delays followed by a months-long process of furnishing and commissioning, this week was scheduled to see the official opening of the new hospital. The latest target date for National Health Insurance came and went in October, however, with no mention from public officials. The hospital, which Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said will cost $40 million a year to operate, was a major milestone toward beginning NHI. With the passage of a new Social Security Act this year and the planned passage of a new Medical Act and legislation to regulate private clinics, government seems to be chipping away at its preparations for NHI, following a wave of public health care reform throughout the Eastern Caribbean. In 2013, the World Bank highlighted the efforts of nine Latin American and Caribbean nations working toward universal health care, including Jamaica. It described the region as “leading the charge” globally when it comes to universal health care. Several nations in the region, such as Barbados, the Bahamas and St. Kitts and Nevis, already have universal coverage, while others, such as St. Lucia, are working on implementing it.
Year in Review
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 7
JUNE 2014
June 5, 2014
June 12, 2014
June 19, 2014
AT A GLANCE... • Convicted murderer Jessroy McKelly was sentenced to life in prison on June 1 for the shooting death of Kareem Sebastian in the Crab Lot area in August 2008. • Citing a troublesome lack of spare generating capacity, the BVI Electricity Corporation announced its intention to move ahead with a multimillion-dollar expansion plan. The “phase five expansion” will add an extra seven to 15 megawatts of generating capacity to the Pockwood Pond generation facility, according to BVIEC officials. • Third District Representative Julian Fraser won the Virgin Islands Party’s first contested chairman election since the party was founded in 1971, earning 44 votes to First District Representative Andrew Fahie’s 29. If the VIP wins the upcoming election, and Mr. Fraser is elected again, he will serve as the territory’s next premier. • Nearly 200 primary school students marched through Road Town during the Parade for the Planet on June 5. The march was among various activities held around the territory for Environment Month. • Roughly 190 students graduated from the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College during the school’s 21st commencement ceremony on June 12. • The opposition-led Public Accounts Committee delivered a scathing, 700-page report on June 13 that criticised government’s handling of a cancelled cruise pier development deal with the consortium Tortola Ports Partners. • An amendment to the Education Act was passed in the House of Assembly, adding an additional year to VI public schools. • Of the 257 students who took the territory’s school-leav-
June 26, 2014
AUDITS: BIG PROJECTS RAISED SOME BIG QUESTIONS By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG One hundred and ninety-two students graduated from the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in June during the school’s 21st commencement ceremony. ing exams, 224 passed, a rate of • Roughly 20 social workers, in an emergency drill test with a 87 percent, according to Educa- police officers, court personnel response team from the HMS tion and Culture Minister and other public officers gath- Protector, a Royal Navy iceMyron Walwyn. ered on June 19 for a two-day breaker that visited the territory • Twenty-five illegal mi- domestic violence sensitisation in June. grants from Haiti were repatri- workshop held at the Treasure • The JEEP BVI Mountain ated on June 18 after being Isle Hotel. Bike Series continued on June 21 found in hiding on Virgin • The same day, officers from with a race on Norman Island. Gorda and held at the detention the VI Fire and Rescue Services, centre at Her Majesty’s Prison Airports Authority Fire and for nearly a week. Rescue, and police participated
Reports from the auditor general on three of the territory’s highest-priced projects were published this year. Despite the varying nature of the projects and the fact that they were led by successive administrations, similar problems were raised in each. Potential conflict of interest, missing documentation, problems with tracking funds and a general lack of transparency were said to be problems in government’s greenhouses, cruise pier, and Sea Cows Bay harbour projects. In the case of the cruise pier project, by the time the audit report became public, many of the issues raised had been addressed, according to government leaders, who by then had ended their partnership with Tortola Ports Partners. But the issue may not be entirely settled: Shortly after Governor John Duncan took up his post in August, he said he would consider whether to convene a commission of inquiry into the pier project by the end of the year, but he hadn’t announced a decision as of the Beacon’s print deadline. That project came under extra scrutiny in the form of an investigation by the opposition-led Public Accounts Committee. A scathing report based on that investigation was released in two parts, though government-side PAC members Marlon Penn and Alvera MaduroCaines later registered their dissatisfaction with its conclusions. If there is a commission of inquiry, Mr. Duncan has said, it won’t be strictly focused on the pier project, because issues with tendering and procurement have been raised repeatedly. “I would have to look at the issue in the round — not just simply the issue of the cruise terminal, but the issue of procurement and tendering processes in the territory,” he said in a radio interview.
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Jan. 17
2014: Cartoons
Feb.13
March 6
April 1
May 17
June 12
2014: Cartoons
July 3
Aug. 21
Sept. 25
Oct. 23
Nov. 06
Dec. 11
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 9
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Year in Review
JULY 2014
July 3, 2014
July 10, 2014
July 17, 2014
July 24, 2014
July 31, 2014
AIRPORT PROJECT STALLED By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK An inflated racetrack that pulled back on runners as they advanced forward was one of the more popular attractions at the Rotary Club of Road Town’s annual Kiddies Fiesta in mid-July.
AT A GLANCE... • On July 1, Yeiral Batista Sena, of the Dominican Republic, was found dead in his room at Fort Burt Hotel in Road Town. A postmortem revealed the cause of death was a gunshot wound, opening a murder case that remains unsolved. • Law enforcement officials announced that 16 closed-circuit television cameras were up and running. It was the end of a lengthy three-and-a-half-year process that began in February 2011. • A total of 207 students grad-
uated from the five secondary schools throughout the territory at the end of June and the beginning of July. • Dive BVI general manager Casey McNutt worked with members of Teens 4 Oceans to install an underwater camera at St. Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda to monitor activity on the reef. • An ongoing legal battle over Scrub Island Resort’s bankruptcy proceeding became more contentious when a lawsuit was filed against FirstBank Puerto Rico by Scrub Island Development Group alleging that a former resort exec-
utive sent dozens of e-mails “secretly undermining” SIDG’s interests. • During a community meeting with residents at the Purcell Community Centre on July 10, Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering said government would soon form a special committee to review minimum wage in the territory. • A 22-page audit released on July 22 criticised government’s handling of the $6 million greenhouse project in Paraquita Bay and in South Sound, Virgin Gorda. “The ministry’s failure to develop a comprehensive plan for its im-
In the past 12 months, officials haven’t said a lot publicly about a proposal that would be the government’s largest capital project to date: the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. Since plans were first explained in detail in March 2012, Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering has maintained that adding 2,500 feet to the airport’s runway in order to accommodate jet flights from the mainland United States is vital to the future of the territory’s tourism industry. Some residents, however, doubt that the project is necessary or feasible, and fears have been expressed that the expansion would irrevocably harm the environment of Trellis Bay. Protests grew louder when bids came in at around $400 million, far higher than Dr. Pickerplementation resulted in an expedited project that violated all three principles of value for money: economy, efficiency and effectiveness,” the report stated. • In a statement to the House of Assembly the same day, Dr. Pickering gave an update on the delayed airport expansion project. He indicated that high public debt levels forced a drastic change in the plan: As a next step, the airport project likely will be developed, financed, and operated by a private firm, he said. • Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief Justice Janice Pereira,
ing’s original $37 million estimate. During 2014, however, Dr. Pickering continued to push for the project, and he provided an update to the House of Assembly in July. At the time, he explained that a plan to place portions of the runway on elevated piles had caused most of the cost increase, adding that revised bids for just the runway portion ranged from $154 to $194 million. To reduce the risk and financial burden on the territory, he proposed that a private operator be given a concession to run the airport. But no contracts have been announced to date, and the original plan to have the extended runway operating by the end of 2015 seems extremely unlikely to come to fruition. In his November Speech from the Throne, in fact, Governor John Duncan said that the government now hopes that construction can begin by the end of 2015. a Virgin Gorda native, was officially honoured as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire during an investiture ceremony on July 21. • More than 30 models walked the runway at the Crystal Ballroom at U.P.’s Cineplex during the Global Fashion Show on July 26. • Residents made their way though Road Town on July 28 during a Torch Ligh Procession from the Admin Drive to the Iris Freeman Festiville, kicking off the 60th August Emancipation Festival.
Year in Review
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 11
AUGUST 2013 AT A GLANCE... • The 60 th anniversary celebration of the August Emancipation Festival was a hit by most accounts. A new format trimmed three days from the festivities, but added a fireworks display and a “last lap” concert in Road Town. • A High Court judge upheld government’s 2013 termination of a former Crown counsel, David Penn, who claimed that he had to stay away from the office and work from home due to his hypersensitivity to radiation emitted from cellular phone towers. • The BVI Post opened a new office in Carrot Bay as part of its effort to decentralise services in Road Town and spread them over the rest of the territory, according to Postmaster General Pascha Stoutt. • A $30 million expansion to add 120 extra slips to Nanny Cay Marina moved ahead after a meeting at the Valerie O. Thomas Community Centre. Plans had been in the works since at least 2009. Developer Cameron McColl has said the expansion could add an additional 100 jobs to the area. • Government and contractor Global Water began arbitration to resolve government’s breach of two 2006 contracts to build and operate a sewage treatment plant in Paraquita Bay. The matter, which was discussed by lawmakers during a House of Assembly meeting on Aug. 14, is ongoing. • Governor John Duncan was officially sworn in to office by High Court Justice Vicki-Ann Ellis during a short ceremony at the House of Assembly on Aug. 15. Mr. Duncan is a former director of communications for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. • The VI government signed
Aug. 14, 2014
Aug. 21, 2014
Aug. 28, 2014
FIREWORKS AT FESTIVAL By NGOVOU GYANG
ngyang@bvibeacon.com The 60 th anniversary of the August Emancipation Festival was celebrated with a twist: Attendees were treated to fireworks and a “last lap” in Road Town. On the night of Aug. 9, hundreds of residents lined the shore at Wickhams Cay as fireworks exploded, signalling the end of nearly two weeks of festivities in Road Town, East End, Long Look and Carrot Bay. Now, organisers plan to make the Road Town finish an annual occurrence during Festival, which used to wrap up in Carrot Bay. Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn praised organisers and called this year’s celebrations a success. “I think that this is one of the better Festivals that we’ve had in the Virgin Islands,” he said. “Most persons I’ve spoken to have been pleased with what we have done and can see the results in the various support in activities we’ve had in the villages.” Before the celebrations got under way, Marvin Blyden, chairman of the VI Festivals and Fairs Committee, announced that steps would be taken to reduce costs, and he promised that a financial report from the event would be submitted in a timely manner. It is unclear, though, whether those cost-cutting plans were successful: No 2014 report has been made public, though the report on the 2013 Festival was released in September.
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Governor John Duncan inspects a Royal Virgin Islands Police Force formation for the first time shortly before he was officially sworn in on Friday at the House of Assembly in August. a $1.15 million contract with the New York-based McKinsey and Company to help strategise the diversification of the VI’s financial services industry. • More than 200 taxi drivers and tour operators attended a
“Taxi Academy” organised by the BVI Tourist Board and the BVI Taxi and Livery Commission. Participants learned about customer service and how to “maximise every avenue of business strategies to improve service
quality,” organisers said. • New York native Victor Mooney landed in the territory on Aug. 21 after rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in a 24-foot boat to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
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Year in Review
SEPTEMBER 2014
Sept. 4, 2014
Sept. 11, 2014
Sept. 18, 2014
Sept. 25, 2014
CHIKUNGUNYA, DENGUE SWEEP TERRITORY By KEN SILVA ksilva@bvibeacon.com
Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK Autism Centre client Devon Harrigan rides a pony during a visit to a farm in Diamond Estate, guided by Alison Knights-Bramble.
AT A GLANCE... • Delta Petroleum signed a $150 million contract with the BVI Electricity Corporation to supply roughly 13 million gallons of diesel fuel over the next four years. • Nearly 200 people gathered at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College for the first BVI Reading Council Literary Conference. • Opposition members held a press conference on Sept. 9 to voice their concerns about what they described as a pattern of disregarding proper parliamentary procedure in the House of Assembly. • Work continued at the site of a
planned three-hole golf course in Nail Bay, Virgin Gorda, resort owner Doug Riegels confirmed. Mr. Riegels said the course will not be open to the public. • Premier Dr. Orlando Smith travelled to Hong Kong to promote the territory as a financial services jurisdiction and tourism destination. His trip — which coincided with the inaugural Regional Business BVI Asia Conference — included delivering a speech on the future sustainability of “offshore and midshore jurisdictions” to the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. • The territory’s second murder of the year occurred around 11 p.m. on Sept. 12 in Horse Path, according to police, who responded to reports of gunshots and found
the lifeless body of Nyron Olliverre, a native of Trinidad. The homicide has not been solved. • Members of the Virgin Islands justice system marched through Road Town on the way to the High Court on Sept. 17 to commence the 2014-2015 law year. Chief Justice Dame Janice Pereira gave an address from Anguilla via simulcast, discussing the challenges of carrying out fair and efficient justice in the Eastern Caribbean. • The auditor general released a report on the Sea Cows Bay harbour development project that contained some very serious allegations: potential conflict of interest, poor financial record-keeping, and a lack of
transparency with public funds, among others. • The BVI Ports Authority began hearing bids from contractors to replace the ferry terminal in West End and build a new protective barrier in front of the main public dock facility in Virgin Gorda, officials announced. According to tender documents that were released in mid-September, the projects are expected to cost a combined $5 million. • Government began the search for a new attorney general, and Dr. Christopher Malcolm announced that he would not seek renewal of his three-year contract at the end of the year. Whoever takes the position will be the fifth AG in less than a decade.
At the start of the year, a new virus arrived in the Virgin Islands: chikungunya, which had been first reported in the Western Hemisphere only months earlier. On Jan. 13, the Ministry of Health and Social Development confirmed three case of the virus in Jost Van Dyke. The mosquito-borne disease spread quickly, and by the rainy season it was compounded by an outbreak of dengue, another virus with similar symptoms. Officers of the Environmental Health Unit held meetings in September and October to educate residents on how to eradicate the mosquito species that carry the viruses: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The most important method of limiting the mosquitoes is to eliminate the standing water they use as breeding grounds, said Environmental Health Officer Minchington Israel. Elsewhere in the region, other countries have taken steps that could provide an example for limiting the diseases’ impact in the VI in the future. For example, researchers in Brazil have released mosquitoes infected with dengue-blocking bacteria with the hope that they will breed with local mosquito populations. There is also good news for those who have caught chikungunya already: They will probably not catch it again. “According to evidence to date, there should be lifelong immunity,” the Pan American Health Organisation announced in a press release.
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 13
Year in Review
OCTOBER 2014
Oct. 2, 2014
Oct. 9, 2014
Oct. 16, 2014
Oct. 23, 2014
Oct. 30, 2014
PROGRESS MADE ON SEWERAGE PROJECTS By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com
Photo: KEN SILVA An employee of BVI Cable extinguishes a controlled blaze with the help of a firefighter during a Fire Safety Awareness Week.
AT A GLANCE... • Billionaire Sir Richard Branson called for members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States to join together to create a large marine reserve during a meeting of the OECS environmental council hosted by the Virgin Islands. • The non-profit organisation Promoting Animal Welfare announced that it had successfully spayed and neutered more than 100 cats in the territory to help control feral populations. • Lawmakers amended the Pa-
role Act, which now allows prisoners to apply for early release after serving half of their sentences. In the past, they had to wait until their sentences were two-thirds complete. • The United States Virgin Islands Daily News was sold for the second time in roughly six years, to USVI-based businessman Archie Nahigian. • Director of Public Prosecutions Wayne Rajbansie, Health and Social Development Minister Ronnie Skelton and Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn signed a new set of protocols for responding to domestic vio-
lence and child abuse cases. • After a three-week trial, a seven-member jury in the Cayman Islands acquitted former Premier McKeeva Bush on Oct. 9, of corruption-related charges stemming from allegations that he used government-issued credit cards to incur large gambling debts. • Four police officers were interdicted in the midst of an internal corruption investigation. Police declined to release their names. • Commercial Court Deputy Registrar Noni Georges and other VI attorneys worked toward establishing the BVI Pro Bono Project, a clinic that provides legal advice
to people who can’t afford a lawyer. • Members of a VI delegation travelled to St. Thomas on Oct. 17 for VI Friendship Day, which was held in Emancipation Park in Charlotte Amalie. • The newly renovated VI School of Technical Studies opened in Baughers Bay on Oct. 22. • As work continued on the Tortola Pier Park, the BVI Ports Authority begins efforts to raise $16.5 million for the project. Berthing agreements signed in January with Disney and Norwegian cruise lines are expected to bring at least 425,000 passengers annually, officails said.
Substantial progress on long planned efforts to upgrade the territory’s water supply and public sewer systems occurred during 2014, though both major initiatives aren’t finished yet. Contractors with the United Kingdom-based firm Biwater worked feverishly all year to build a desalination plant in Paraquita Bay capable of producing at least 2.3 million gallons of water per day. That facility will end nightly water cutoffs across much of Tortola, officials have pledged. Several previously announced deadlines for the plant’s completion have come and gone since the contract’s 2010 signing, the latest having been in November. It still isn’t operational, and an opening date hasn’t been announced. Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool expressed concern in July that the Biwater contract may cost government more than $18 million annually, a figure that includes the company’s electricity bill. Additionally, the Water and Sewerage Department spent an estimated $4 million in 2014 to lay new, larger pipes in preparation for the coming water. Pipe laying also continued as part of the National Sewerage Programme. Government spent $6 million on the project in 2014 and plans to spend at least that amount in 2015.
Page 14 | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | The BVI Beacon
Year in Review
NOVEMBER 2013
Nov. 6, 2014
Nov. 13, 2014
Nov. 20, 2014
Nov. 27, 2014
AT A GLANCE... • After two years of trials, retrials, and a variety of contentious legal submissions, Magistrate Dr. Velon John dismissed multiple charges on Nov. 5 against three men accused of involvement in a major cocaine operation. The trio — Hugh Erickson, Leon King, and Gerry Freeman — were acquitted of supplying a controlled drug and possessing proceeds of criminal conduct. • While construction of the new cruise pier continued, a new organisation, the Virgin Islands Transportation Alliance, announced goals of improving the quality of service at the new facility. • During an interview with the Beacon the territory’s new governor, John Duncan, said he believes his role will involve close collaboration with local leaders and “quiet, belowthe-public-threshold diplomacy.” • Former military personnel gathered at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College on Nov. 2 during a ceremony for Remembrance Day. • After some delays, work on the Queen Elizabeth II park continued throughout November. Premier’s Office Permanent Secretary Broderick Penn said a jogging track, irrigation system, landscaping, playground area and some gazebos would likely be completed by the end of December. • Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering said during a press conference on Nov. 14 that government’s long-promised efforts to establish functioning greenhouses would soon be resolved. A government delegation met with greenhouse contractor International Business and Trade and agreed to pay a past-due bill of $1.26 million to the company, the minister added. • On Nov. 16, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith unveiled a $311 mil-
Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK Poll workers check identification and hand out ballots in the Charlotte Amalie High School gym in St. Thomas. Many residents of this territory travelled to the United States Virgin Islands to cast a vote in the November election.
lion budget at the House of Assembly, painting an optimistic economic picture that was quickly criticised by members of the opposition. • The long-awaited report of the 2010 Virgin Islands Census was tabled in the House of Assembly the same day. It revealed that the territory, at that time, had 10,830
households and 28,054 residents. • In the wake of a security breach affecting several Virgin Islands customers with Visa debit cards, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said on Nov. 25 that he’d consulted with bank officials, who pledged to make sure that any funds lost by VI
• The month-long BVI Food Fete — a new culinary event that linked existing food and wine events throughout November — culminated with the two-day Anegada Lobster Festival on Nov. 2930. The event was deemed a success by most, drawing more visitors than last year when it was introduced.
accountholders due to “compromised” accounts would be returned. • Police detectives arrested Jefferson Joseph, 39, and charged him with the incitement of another to murder Melbourne Francis, police announced on Nov. 26.
CRUISE PIER SAW CONTROVERSY, PROGRESS IN 2014 By JASON SMITH jsmith@bvibeacon.com Between heated allegations of wrongdoing and earnest reports of progress, the effort to extend Tortola’s cruise ship pier to 1,300 feet dominated headlines and public conversation in 2014. Scrutiny of the project will likely only heighten in 2015 with the approach of the election and a crucial deadline for completion. In 2012 and 2013, Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool
detailed government’s plans to renovate the dock and develop a nearby parcel of land, but construction didn’t begin until this year. In January, government created collateral for a $35 million loan to extend the dock by signing long-term berthing agreements with Norwegian and Disney cruise lines. The lines have agreed to deliver at least 425,000 passengers to the territory annually for the next 15 years or pay for the shortfall in passenger taxes. In exchange, the lines will receive preferred access to the pier, a concession that prompted
rival Carnival Cruise Lines to cancel several planned calls and spurred concern from taxi drivers. The loan allowed officials to ink a $30.7 million contract in April with a joint venture between the Canadian firm IDL Projects Inc. and the Virgin Islands firm Meridian Construction to complete the dock extension. Several million dollars worth of contracts to construct more than a dozen nearby buildings, including a visitors centre and retail spaces, followed. Officials hope that the buildings will be funded in part by raising at least
$16 million through selling shares in the project to residents. In spite of such progress, allegations have continued that officials flouted proper procurement procedures in 2012 and 2013 and proceeded despite potential conflict of interest. The opposition-led Public Accounts Committee repeatedly criticised Mr. Vanterpool and others involved in the project, urging Governor John Duncan to convene a commission of inquiry to investigate further. Mr. Duncan has promised to make a decision on the request by the end of the year.
Year in Review
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Page 15
DECEMBER 2013
Dec. 4, 2013
Dec. 11, 2013
ELECTION HOPEFULS PREPARE FOR COMPETITIVE SEASON CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com
Photo: NGOVOU GYANG Members of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School Choir perform at Christmas on DeCastro Street on Dec. 5.
AT A GLANCE... • Dozens of residents got tested for HIV at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park on Worlds Aids Day, which is held annually on Dec. 1. The free tests were offered by the BVI HIV/AIDS Foundation. • With the National Democratic Party government beginning its fourth year in office and an election looming, political
leaders on both sides of the aisle took to the airwaves on various radio shows to present their plans and defend past actions. • Premier Dr. Orlando Smith led a delegation from the Virgin Islands to the United Kingdom in the first week of December for the annual Joint Ministerial Council, where overseas territory leaders and UK government minister discussed matters of mutual concern. • During a workshop for
clients and prospective clients, MWM Wealth Management Managing Director Meade Malone argued that a diverse range of investments is key for getting the best possible returns. • Former legislator Andre Penn was convicted for 11 of the 12 sex crimes against a minor that he allegedly perpetrated between 2006 and 2008. The conviction wrapped up a case that took up nearly the entire October Assizes. • Clarence Thomas, Marlene
Penn-Trotman, and Reynell Frazer received the Virgin Islands Badge of Honour for their commitment to the community during a ceremony on Dec. 9. • Thousands turned up for Christmas on DeCastro Street on Saturday, Dec. 5. The new location of the annual event was welcomed by many vendors and attendees, though some Main Street business owner said they were disappointed.
Government-side, opposition and emerging political parties all began their long march to the next election this year. Premier Dr. Orlando Smith confirmed recently that all nine members of his National Democratic Party legislative team will seek their seats again during the next election, which is due by February 2016. In addition to the NDP’s “On the Road” meetings to speak to constituents, the party has hosted mixers at its headquarters to interact with supporters. Meanwhile, the main opposition party has seen major changes this year, first with the departure of veteran legislator Alvin Christopher, then with the announcement that Opposition Leader Ralph O’Neal would not seek office again. Mr. O’Neal was also replaced as party leader by Third District Representative Julian Fraser. Without Messrs. O’Neal and Christopher, the party will go into the next general election with two sitting members in the House — the same numerical position the NDP was in heading into the 2011 elections. Next year will also see two other parties hitting the campaign trail to build support and recruit candidates: the new People’s Empowerment Party — founded by Mr. Christopher and launched in March — and the People’s Patriotic Alliance, which fielded a fourmember ticket in 2011. Though the territory’s political landscape has increasingly become dominated by parties, several independents are likely to throw their hats in the ring as well.
Page 16 | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | The BVI Beacon
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