The upgraded washroom facility at Jost Van Dyke. Photo: Team of reporters

The new back-up generator installed at the Government building at Jost Van Dyke through the offices of the Ministry of Communications and Works and the office of the Deputy Governor. Photo: Team of reporters

The newly constructed booth that will house the tourism information centre. Photo: Team of reporters

A visit to the Island today would see it sporting a brand new back-up generator at the Administration Building, renovated public bathroom facility and the construction of a new tourism booth. The three were done by separate arms of government.

These issues were firstly reported by Virgin Islands New Online earlier this year.

Speaking exclusively with Virgin Islands News Online, Sister Islands’ Programme Coordinator Mr Vincent Wheatley explained that the three projects were done in time for the Christmas season but more importantly to ensure that the government answers the “rightful calls” made by the people of the island.

He explained that the standby generator set was installed through the combined efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Works and the office of the Deputy Governor’s office. The bathroom facilities and the tourism booth were the doings of the BVI Tourist Board (BVITB) and the Office of the Premier.

“The government building over there (Jost Van Dyke) houses the police, customs, immigration and a district office and they now have a back-up generator, a fully commissioned back-up generator,” said Mr Wheatley.

He further explained that the absence of the key equipment was a sore point for many years and recalled that whenever there were power outages those offices could not have functioned. “It was there a few months ago but was fully commissioned yesterday (November 26, 2013). The final inspection was done and passed.”

According to the Director of the BVI Tourist Board, Ms Sharon Flax-Mars, the project is not yet complete as they are continuing to upgrade the bathroom facility and will be setting up a visitors’ information centre. “This is in conjunction with the Premier’s office. We are hopeful that within another two or three weeks, if everything goes according to schedule, we will have the information centre open and staffed.” she told this news site in an exclusive interview.

Ms Flax-Mars said the visitors’ information centre will have one staff and that person will be taken from their existing pool of information officers. “…because some of them are part time and we rotate them around the different locations around the islands.”

She explained that, in addition to catering to the Christmas season comfort on the island, much consideration is being given to the heavy traffic that goes to the sister island of Jost Van Dyke for the New Year’s festivities.

“…. and for the small cruise ships that call on that island, it is imperative that we live up to some of the things that we said we would do. We had also promised the people of Jost Van Dyke that we would have the information centre ready for these as well as listen to their complaints about the challenges about the bathrooms. So we are trying to address the different challenges that we have little by little,” said Ms Flax-Mars.