After a $7M tax payer bailout for BVI Airways not a dime for local ferries!
Take for example BVI Airways, an airline company with zero local ownership, who was able by a stroke of a pen to secure some $7M of taxpayers’ monies to restart a defunct airline that had commenced its operation in 2010 at the Terence B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island.
Was it a bad deal?
However, in 2014 BVI Airways abruptly ceased operations in the Virgin Islands (VI) and it was reported that the airline ran out of money, while owing the BVI Airports Authority close to $100,000.
What is even more ridiculous to many is the bailout deal, which is that if no plane flies in November or ever taxpayers cannot recover a dime from the deal that promises direct flights from Miami, Florida to the VI’s Beef Island airport.
Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith, an At Large Member, told the public that flights will start in November 2016 but it was unearthed in the House of Assembly (HoA) on September 22, 2016 that many approvals needed from the US Department of Transportation and the Air Safety Support International (ASSI)- the VI regulators- have still not been secured. This means that the public and taxpayers were again misled by the Smith Administration as flights are unlikely to commence next month.
No Help for local ferry companies
The Public was also misled by the Minister for Communications and Works Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) on September 23, 2016 at the First Sitting of the Second Session of the Third House of Assembly. Hon Vanterpool claimed that “government intends to do more for the local ferries.”
However, our newsroom contacted three ferry companies that transport passengers between Tortola and St Thomas, USVI and were told that they had not gotten any call from the Minister.
One owner, who did not want his name used, said “I see Mark all the time and we talk about ongoing issues especially the rules the US imposed on us, but never about subsidising our operations.”
Hypocrisy/double standards
Research by own newsroom found that under the Virgin Islands Party Administration [2007-2011], subsidies and support were given to the ferries to transport persons to Anegada; however, not a dime beyond that for plying the route between the USVI and the VI where most of the tourists and locals use to get to the VI.
It is also reported that under the NDP Administration a loan of $250,000 was made available to the ferry companies to upgrade the interior of their vessels, however, it is unclear if any of the companies took it up.
Nevertheless, the public sees it as unfair that an overseas company can get a free $7Million USD bailout with no strings attached, only a promised of direct flights between Miami and Beef Island, however, locally owned businesses that pay most of the taxes and other port fees cannot secure a dime to help their operations with sea transportation.
Minister Vanterpool promised “to do more to try to help,” however, he did not elaborate in the HoA but instead chose to talk about BiWater, a company that is no longer in the VI.
20 Responses to “After a $7M tax payer bailout for BVI Airways not a dime for local ferries!”
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If government can play loosy goosy with an external airline company, why cannot it do the same for the local ferry companies? That said, it must be effective stewards of taxpayers money? Governments are elected to exercise effective stewardship of resources. In Oppostion, government campaigned on being better stewards than the previous government. Well, show me the the money.
Moreover, economic development investment money must come with gurantees of some sort, i.e., hiring a certain number if people by a certain time, maintaining a set schedule for a minimum time, filling a number seats by a certain time......etc. Funding should be made when the established terms and conditions are met or for work put in place ( material and equipment bought). Payment should not be front loaded but rather performance-based.
THE NDP IS SH*T!!!!!!!!!!