Gov’t officials accused of blocking locals from yachting sector
Morning Facts host and political commentator Cindy Rosan has called out alleged cronyism affecting the Labour Department, where high-ranking government officials are alleged to be pressuring public officers to approve work permits and other requests for politically connected individuals in the lucrative yachting sector.
She said these fast-tracked, corrupt approvals have been happening at the expense of qualified Virgin Islanders who continue to struggle for opportunities in the same industry.
Speaking passionately during a recent broadcast of her show, Rosan claimed she has received calls from frustrated Labour Department insiders who felt powerless to stop what she described as interference from higher-ranking government officials. She said her informants were tired of the double standard and discrimination against locals, while others have been pushed out after refusing to break the law to accommodate government cronies.
“They felt like there wasn’t much more that they could do because those above them – all the way up to the ministries – no matter what the laws are or how things are supposed to go, they make the final call,” Rosan said.
Several sections of the community continue to complain about the yachting sector being overtaken by expatriates while being inaccessible to locals, even as government publicly promotes initiatives aimed at getting more Virgin Islanders involved in the sector.
“The yachting industry has been fully taken over. The heads are no longer locals. They (expatriate owners) have found ways to bring in their own heads, their own captains. The conversation is that the guests only want to see white captains. But when you come to the Caribbean, you have to expect a certain shade of service,” Rosan explained.
Her comments come amid a recent statement by Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Lorna Smith, that steps are being taken to ensure Virgin Islanders genuinely benefit from areas of tourism like the yachting sector.
At the same time, the government has promoted scholarship programmes and training initiatives designed to help young Virgin Islanders enter the boating, culinary and tourism industries. However, Rosan argued that those efforts are being undermined by leaders in high offices who are supposed to advance the interests of locals.
“You have the Education Minister saying they are creating scholarships and training opportunities because people claim locals are not qualified,” Rosan stated. “Then you have another side of government doing something completely contrary when qualified people show up ready to work.”
She added: “You’ve got yachting companies clearing two or three million dollars a year, yet Virgin Islanders trying to get their foot in there can’t get this licence or that licence approved,” she claimed.
Rosan also accused successive governments of failing to introduce legislation specifically aimed at securing greater access for Virgin Islanders in the tourism and marine industries and called for targeted pathways to get locals into these areas. “Stop erasing our people out of our bread and butter,” she said.
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get rid of trade license’s altogether. They serve no purpose other than to control folks.
@VG resident dot be a jack donkey
And dont forget to mention the groups who bring along their own prepaid captains.
There is sooo much of government’s money is going out of the BVI. Pay attention to the villas, where most of them are already paid for to their US owners before coming here.
A long time photographer have been visiting our islands for over 40 years and sand contributes images to shops here!
WHERE ARE OUR CREDIBLE TASK FORCES FOR ALL MINISTRIES!!!
As a USA villa owner on virgin gorda, where do you expect the villa rental income to go? Goes into the uSA owners bank account. Pays for everything the villa needs. Villa rental is not income, but money that is used to keep the villa going.
THEY WANT WHITE CAPTAINS GO TO WHERE WHITES LIVE ALONE THEN SIMPLE
this is the same in other industries as well. and it is fueled by the mentality of those in power. In the FS the justification for approving trade licences for overseas law firms to practise in the BVI is that the overseas clients want to deal with white lawyers. If that really is true they would not seek services from a territory of black people. But that is what we get from those FS gurus.
Cindy Rosan is completely inaccurate and incorrect and she need to start fact checking before she opens her big mouth. The misinformation wonders is psychotic
These news sites need to stop giving this woman a platform to spread misinformation! Any local boater would attest that the Ministry has been finding ways to better support and also to encourage companies to hire more locals! Cindy is hogwash
I’ve seen my local charter company bring a guy from overseas to be in a managerial position, but still have to be trained by the local staff who where already there. The expat didn’t even last long. Gone in the wind
Why you all hate White people so bad….
Then again you’ll hate your own too
Labour department is the problem. They approving new permits but are not spot checking the employer to check the job how was it being done before and who was in charge before the job was advertised. Can labour checked to see if the job was posted at the company to see if any other staff would have wanted to apply? Is it a new job or is someone job going to get redundant to make space for the new person.
local people show up no humble if anything happend with the tourism country will go down because tourism is the main pillar of country already lots of company moved from here and just because money people come here if they change money like caribbean dollor nothing on isloand most of the people fly to neibour country and loacls talks what ver they wants but they have to knwo where they are from originally here on the island everyone from somewhere needs to understand its not like india china rushya
here people do races between their people dont know what they stduied and how education
YOU CANNOT FOOL US, SO IT GOT TO BE THAT WIGGED DUDE ( WE KNOW YOU ) UP TO YOUR USUAL SHITTY NARCISSISTIC NARRATIVES , IS THIS YOU WHAT YOU PLAN TO FOR TGE REST OF YOUR LIFE BOI ? ) YOU GOT A MILLION NAMES, YET YOU STILL CANNOT RESIST THE URGE TO USE OTHER PEOPLE’S NAME TO DIRTY THEIR IMAGE / SHE IS MORE THAN CAPABLE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH , UNLIKE YOU • REPENT HEATHEN.