Certain ministries should be housed on sister islands — Vanterpool
Re-emerging political hopeful Mark Vanterpool is calling for a major decentralisation of government services in the BVI, arguing that key ministries should be relocated to the sister islands to stimulate their economies and reduce what he described as Tortola-centric development.
Speaking on the Morning Facts show with host Cindy Rosan, Vanterpool said the territory must stop treating Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke as secondary communities and instead view the entire territory as one unified Virgin Islands.
“You cannot continue to talk about these islands as sister islands,” Vanterpool argued. “We are the British Virgin Islands, so we are all the same. Virgin Gorda shouldn’t be any less than Tortola and Anegada shouldn’t be any less.”
The former Works Minister suggested relocating the Ministry of Tourism to Virgin Gorda, which he described as the “tourism belt” of the territory.
“Why don’t we move the Ministry of Tourism to Virgin Gorda? Let the minister and his workers be in Virgin Gorda,” Vanterpool said. “That would help the economy of VG and also give more attention to VG as the tourism centre of the BVI.”
He also proposed placing the Ministry of Fisheries and Environment in Anegada, arguing that government offices should be spread throughout the territory instead of being concentrated in Road Town. “When you decentralise government and spread it through the territory — put something on Jost Van Dyke — just to make them feel like part of it,” he stated. “Everybody has to come to Tortola for everything, and I want to get rid of that concept.”
Too costly to live on sister islands
Vanterpool also criticised the high cost of transportation between the islands, particularly for residents of Anegada. He argued that travel costs should be heavily subsidised in the same way the government funds road infrastructure on Tortola.
“Why should Anegadians have to pay $50 or $100 to travel between Anegada and Tortola?” he questioned. “You should not be disadvantaged because you live in Anegada.”
He pointed to the subsidised ferry system between St Thomas and St John in the US Virgin Islands as an example of how transportation between islands could be made more affordable. The former legislator also suggested Anegada could become a hub for agriculture and fisheries, including pelagic fishing and fish exportation.
According to Vanterpool, foreign fishing vessels — including Japanese operators — have reportedly been using waters near Anegada to catch fish that are later exported overseas through neighbouring territories.
“I think Anegada has the strong possibility of being a centre for agriculture and fisheries,” he said. “We should be an exporter of fish.”
However, Vanterpool admitted he did not know whether any foreign operators had officially been granted permission to fish in local waters, noting only that “nobody has stopped them either.”
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Let’s move labor and immigration to Anegada ask banco not so popular if they’ll go too , make it easier for us all . It’s bad enough now what time do you think the staff would open and close for business 11.45 start then a long lunch close at 2 pm . What a joker?
One of the benefits of Mark having stepped away from government is that it has given him the space to reimagine not just what government is, but what it can become. We all know that when a page is pressed against your eyes, the words are impossible to read; yet as you pull it away, clarity emerges. So it is in this case.
Many people outside government can clearly see the problems, but seeing a problem and knowing how to solve it are not the same thing. Vanterpool brings a unique perspective because he understands both worlds. As a former legislator and the proprietor of a major business employing many people, he understands the realities of government and the demands of the private sector. The world we are entering requires innovative thinking, and that is what he is bringing to the table.
There will be resistance. Change often makes people uncomfortable until they begin to experience its benefits. But the choice before us is simple: we either adapt and move forward, or, like any business that refuses to evolve, we risk being left behind.
50 years ago I made a photographic record of Anegada’s vernacular architecture – it included the island’s distinctive wooden church.
In those days, Monstrosities such as that shown in this news item, thankfully did not exist.
This is precisely the kind of innovative thinking we need. With the advances we have seen in communication and technology, he is absolutely correct. Across the world, even in much larger countries, we are witnessing a shift toward decentralization, and digital transformation must be a central part of that journey.
I understand that some may fear greater efficiency will mean fewer jobs in the public service. But that need not be the outcome. The true opportunity lies in empowering government to deliver more services, more effectively, and to reach more people than ever before. Technology changes many things, but perhaps its greatest gifts are reducing our dependence on physical space and allowing us to make far better use of one of our most precious resources—time
In the words of a late great Anegadian “Bai stop talking assness”. Them mess up Tola to the point where finding a parking space is miracle. Now them wan frigg up the flat. We cool with our sand roads, mosquitoes and goats. Leave us alone!
@This is what we need. You my friend is what my grandmother use to call an “Intelligent Idiot”. Go siddown somewhere, you on timeout.