Here’s what the BVIPA earned from warm layups
The BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) is expected to earn a total of $69,571.47 from the warm layups it facilitated in the territory earlier this year.
In January, Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas arrived at the Cyril B Romney Tortola Pier Park’s port and docked for a few weeks.
Premier Andrew Fahie revealed to the House of Assembly that so far, the BVIPA has received $30,015.84 from Royal Caribbean with the remaining sum expected at a later date.
The Premier said this revenue from the warm layups was vital for the cash-strapped BVIPA which was hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and had not raised its port fees in more than 20 years.
And when Opposition Leader Marlon Penn asked whether the BVIPA incurred any costs to facilitate the warm layups, Premier Fahie said the costs for security personnel was the only one the Authority incurred from the venture.
“The cost to the Authority is the security team which is regularly assigned to the Tortola Pier Park to provide security for the park and the Pier,” the Premier said.
“It was the innovative and proactive move between the government, the private sector and the BVI Port Authority to have the warm layups of cruise ships at the port. It provided much-needed revenue and it was more than what was coming in as the cruise business remains on hold due to the global pandemic,” the Premier added.
The BVIPA – a statutory body – has been making an effort to recover much-needed funds to fuel its operations.
In January, the business community was outraged by the BVIPA’s decision to hike fees as of March 1, 2021.
The BVIPA said the adjustments in select fees was overdue and necessary to efficiently and properly operate and further develop the territory’s port facilities.
However, after much public outcry, the BVIPA rolled back the fees with a promise to implement them at a later date.
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Give some back to your hungry people. Give us some stimulus. We need it badly!
I wonder if it’s all going to the sole shareholder?
More warm layups and make more money from December to May. Only bring passengers during the hurricane season.
THEY HAVE NOT ROLLED BACK THE FEES???
THEY HAVE ADDED MORE FEES…
2 MILLION FOR A PIECE OF LAND
500K FOR A GO FAST BOAT
5K MONTHLY RETAINER TO CHARTER PLANE COMPANY SO BOARD MEMBERS CAN COME AND GO…
DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A CASH STRAPPED ORGANISATION TO ME, JUST A P**S POOR ORGANISATION H**L BENT ON GETTING THE COOKIE JAR FILLED UP SO THEY CAN DIVE IN!
Do not question our narco state.
Don’t forget they rented a building from one of the BVIPA board members which was sitting of years without a tenant. They were able to offer one of their board members a golden parachute and lifeline but here now telling the people that they have to pay increased fees. They have no shame whatsoever and clearly take all of us for fools.
We did better than st.thomas with cruise ships…lol
Lmao. Cash strapped, yet they spent $2 million to buy land. W..f
Is the security being supplied by the Premier’s security company or from one of the other crony companies? Given what the Premier charges the government for his personal security it was likely many times the income!
Great, that should pay for government workers coffees for a few days.
$69,571.47
Well that covers a small % of the Motor City Gangsters contract to negotiate the deal for the territory.
Excellent R.O.I.
SMH so much its bobbled for good now.
I hope you giving the staff who didnt get stimulus and get cut pay. I really hope they getting back pay cause you all only cut the ones who out sweating while them lazy ones by desk getting full pay. Security, dock master, cleaners, cashiers and ambassadors
Really?
So to the tale so far
bvi org reported that Oceania Cruises recently paid “as much as $50,000 a month” for a 785-foot vessel with a skeleton crew of 131 people to dock at a port in Maine.
So for us times 2 = $100,000
Our 2 ships arrived January 11th and 12th and have been here since except for a few days when they left the territory. Let’s say 7. So pretty much 3 months or 12 weeks.
And then this is what the Gov said it took to provide one property for a week. “If you wish to use private facilities, then there is where the $3,500 would come in, no matter the particular Immigration status,”
This $3,500 is to cover the cost of 24-hour security.” (Down from $6000 to start with.)
So let’s work it out.
That would be $300,000 for the berth. But the ports only made 69,000.
That leaves $230,000 lost in the mix somewhere.
They had to provide security which leaves us to wonder how much the security was.
At $3500 a week for a small residence and x 12 = 42,000. But the cruise ships are not a small residence and there are 2 of them. So lets say a minimum of 84,000 for security. So 69,000 in and 84,000 (likely an underestimate) out and 230,000 gone to who knows who.
Sounds like one of those great (airplane, greenhouse) type great deals for the VI.
230,000 gone to someone somewhere and the only cost to the Nation is $15,000 to make this happen.
So we all pay a small part of $15,000 and someone gets a $230,000 payola.
Is BVI style gambling already here. We putting down the chips and someone else paid out big from the small chips we put down.
Round up or down the numbers to suit you own ideas but the story and the result is the same.
And we dare to wonder why the UK is looking at us .Fat lazy crooks stealing the people’s money . Pathetic ….