Major shakeup – Delma Maduro heads resort board

There has been a major shakeup in the management of the state-owned Prospect Reef Resort, with the National Democratic Party (NDP) government confirming what it said is a brand new board of directors headed by Delma Maduro.

The change comes weeks after the government was pushed to admit that the loss-making Prospect Reef Resort on Tortola had been delinquent in paying income tax, as well as National Health Insurance and Social Security contributions.

It is not clear if that embarrassing revelation prompted the change of the board.

The government, up to publication time, had not responded to follow-up questions BVI News Online posed yesterday afternoon about the latest developments.

Information Officer in the Premier’s Office April Glasgow however confirmed: “Members appointed to the Prospect Reef hotel board are all new appointees.”

All five newly appointed members of Prospect Reef Resort Management Company Limited have been approved by Cabinet, and will serve for one year starting tomorrow (February 1).

Maduro is the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, K’Nal Thomas and David Abednego are Non-Executive Directors, and Allen O’Neal is an Executive Director.

Basil Smith, who was nominated by the Leader of the Opposition, is a Non-Executive Director.

The appointment of the new board at Prospect Reef, in the meantime, comes as Government again tries to have a private entity invest in the resort.

Premier and Minister of Tourism Dr D Orlando Smith recently told the territory that ICA BVI Group has been selected to make the investment. He added that ICA comprises a consortium of BVI and Middle Eastern partners, and the key principal is Ali Nawaz Shaikh.