Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, His Excellency Kenneth E. Mapp has announced a $500,000 educational venture for high school students of the US Virgin Islands, [British] Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which he said is necessary for the younger generation to become familiar with the similarities shared among the three territories. Photo: VINO

Governor Kenneth E. Mapp said he is looking forward to getting to know Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith more and he is also looking forward to spending more time in this territory. Photo: VINO

Governor Mapp made the disclosure at the opening ceremony to mark the 42nd celebration of BVI/USVI Friendship Day held at the Central Administration Complex in Road Town, Tortola on Saturday October 24, 2015.

"This year in our budget cycle the members of the legislature and the administration ‎approved a $500,000 allotment to the Department of Education for the support of inter-scholastic competition among high school students, and the law says specifically among the BVI, the USVI and the children of Puerto Rico."

According to Governor Mapp, the purpose of the programme is to get the younger generation of the three territories to know their history as well as to know that there are much more in common than there are differences among the people of the three territories.

"When we were small we travelled among the islands, we got to know each other, we got to know each other's family and ‎so when we had a disagreement it could come not down to a fist fight because we knew who we were."

The USVI Governor said today's children and young people are growing up on computers and other electronic devices like television and smart phones and not being able to appreciate the many things the territories have in common.

"And we are not getting out there and helping the children to know the differences between us are small, getting to know the history between us are similar, that we really ‎might sleep on different islands but we have so much more in common than we have different," said Governor Mapp.

Visa free legislation‎

The Governor of the USVI also disclosed that the USVI is pursuing legislation that will give visa exemption among certain Caribbean countries/territories. This he called the Visa Programme.

"In the US congress, the Virgin Islands is pursuing legislation and law that give us in the Virgin Islands and the people in the Caribbean sort of an exemption which we call the Visa Programme that would allow us to move freely among our islands without having the formality of getting visa and all of the formal issues of entering our ports and harbours."

He argued that in most cases the islands are just minutes apart. ‎"We will have challenges that we are going to have to work on as the US Government works to secure the borders between Mexico and the United States..."

The USVI Governor said there is more movement of drugs in the region and as such there is a need for greater collaboration among governments as they work to protect the people of the islands to ensure there is good free flowing trade, while blocking contamination and the negatives of crime.

Governor Mapp also said he is looking forward to getting to know Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith more and is also looking forward to spending more time in this territory.