‘Six Pack bill devastating to VI boating’ – radio caller
The wide-ranging Coast Guard bill, which contained a measure relating specifically to the US Virgin Islands, was signed into law in December 2014 by President Barack H. Obama.
Known as the Six Pack Bill, the measure would allow charters carrying up to 12 passengers to be exempt from having to pass stringent U.S. Coast Guard inspections. Instead, the vessels would have to meet inspection standards currently in place in the Virgin Islands.
According to the male caller, the crew members who would have needed a work permit to work in the Virgin Islands won't need to get it anymore especially if they are US citizens since the boats will be registered in St Thomas.
He believes that as a result of the new law the VI will not get the duties or provisioning on charter boats anymore.
VI will lose revenue
"We are not going to get the payroll taxes from the people because they are going to be in the BVI but they will be based out of the USVI. It means that we will lose all that revenue," he said.
"Nobody ain't talking about it. If we don't swim together we will drown separately. This is not the National Democratic Party (NDP) or Virgin Islands Party (VIP) fault. It is not even the USVI's fault because they just competing with us," he said.
"What they are trying to do is live and we are trying to live too," he said. "I wish we would start talking about what we could do to counteract it," he said.
Host of the show, Douglas Wheatley said he was surprised when news of the Six Pack legislation and what the changes will mean came out.
"The response here in the BVI wasn't really developed. Two newspapers carries something on it," Wheatley said, while adding that the implications for the BVI are many.
"It will be really dangerous," added the caller. He said the charter boat business here will suffer since the boats will begin their journey in St Thomas and go back there at the end of the run.
"The only mechanism we will have to deal with that is charging a discriminatory cruising permit fee to encourage them to do what we want them to do," he said.
Wheatley said that before the new law took effect the VI benefitted tremendously. "But now that it has gone up to 12 seats we are going to lose what we previously benefitted. So it behooves Government to address this matter seriously," he said.
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11 Responses to “‘Six Pack bill devastating to VI boating’ – radio caller”
We need more of this to happen to us and let the BVI feel it. You know why? We are too £$%^& ignorant sometimes! When Government is out there trying to work on behalf of the people we call them sell outs. Let the USVI take the business since we cant seem to appreciate anything. The minute a Minister gets on a plane to represent the BVI it is a damn problem, but now you see things going south all of a sudden you understand it will be bad for BVI? GOOD! The only way we will take our heads out our @$$3$ and stop being ignorant is for the well to run dry!