Penalty warning | regular inspections for sister island businesses
Karia Christopher
Business owners are being warned not to offer goods or services that are not reflected on their respective trade licenses.
In a media release this month, Director of Trade Karia Christopher said failure to comply “will result in immediate penalties for the business”.
She did not specify what penalties would be levied.
The Trade Director issued the warning while announcing that her department is commencing scheduled trade inspections on the sister islands.
Trade inspectors will be deployed to each of the sister islands on designated days.
Christopher said inspectors will ‘mobilise’ every first Tuesday at the Sister Islands District Office on Jost Van Dyke, every Thursday at the Virgin Gorda Administration Complex, and every last Friday at the District Office on Anegada.
The move is in an effort to develop a ‘continued presence’ on the sister islands, Christopher explained.
“The department continues to be very supportive of the small business community and entrepreneurs; especially the ones residing and conducting business and/or businesses on our sister islands. As such, we are re-committing ourselves to the efficiency and efficacy of our operations to make the recovery process easier,” she said.
The Trade Department said persons interested in scheduling inspections should do so ‘ahead of time’ by contacting 284-468-2008.
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Not a nice department to deal with. Don’t come over here.
More discouragement for the entrepreneur.
Yup, they have already picked their targets and locked and loaded. There will be no fair shakedown. This will be politically, and ex-pat motivated.
How does this help to get the economy going? It’s clear that this is a ploy for govt to increase their revenue. They should instead look to increase their revenue by allowing contractors and homeowners to bring in more workers to aid in the reconstruction. There is no way that the fewer than 10,000 construction workers in the Territory can fix 7,000 homes, govt structures, and every damaged resort in a reasonable time (less than 5+ years), materials supply issues notwithstanding. Those bringing them in could pay a monthly work permit fee and be held accountable (there’s a concept one does not see our leadership engage in) for housing those people, and making sure they depart when they are done.
Only now you all coming. Tourist Board is the most visible agency. The rest once in a blue moos. Election coming
Lots of corruption: people using Trade licenses to front for others up and down and the woman well knows it
Trade Department? They should call it the No-Trade Department. Just like to bully people enforcing petty rules stopping honest businesses from trying to serve their customers better.
Wow! Look how they are warning people…in advance…the offenders will just comply for your highly publicized and scheduled visit and then after you leave, will revert back to the wrong they were doing (if they were doing it)… Enforcement should not be like this…unless you really don’t want to catch any perpetrators.
I think it is fair to conclude that what the floods, hurricanes, tornados and the House of Commons in London does not destroy, the government bodies will bury. The BVI is killing itself, it needs no help from the outside.
@The Nation#1.That’s when you have square pegs in round hole managing government departments. Immigration and Labour too.
The trade department is an irrelevance still haven’t worked out what the actually do?
They are there to restrict trade. Unlike the UK or USA or any other successful economy , you need a license to go into business. That is already communistic government interference.
Andd the trade licenses are incredibly restrictive. I know of a case where the local owner of a building supply company decided he would serve his customers coffee while they waited. He was forced by the Anti Trade Department ( what it should be called) to apply for another trade license to do so. Months of delay, cost, bureaucracy, the things the Anti Trade Department is very good at.
Well nobody was stopping him from serving them coffee for FREE…but if he wanted to make a profit out of it…I agree he need to get a trade licence and a health permit to sell food for consumption.
Yes they were. Same as they are going to stop the hotel from giving rides for free.
That department need some training or something. People are exploited if them don’t suck up. I prefer work for someone than open a business. All then government do is put people in post with no training and qualification.
we hungry and hungry people got to eat
Whenever the Virgin Islands enforce laws some people get vex. Every country is govern by rules and regulations who don’t like it too bad.
This selfish mentality of who u know, who u friend, enemy, family name, envy, covetous, badmind, bad attitude, poor customer service, favoritism, feeling big, vengeance, need to feel powerful, lack of respect should I go on. All these things must kill commerce. The trade department needs a check up before it check anybody. Start with the man in the mirror from harassing people business.
But the BVI’s rules are to kill business and initiative. That is not good for anyone. Except the ruling families of course.
The way how — does treat the staff is ridiculous. — have a junior officer calling the shots. I really don’t want to hear nothing from —. God for us all.
People really are awful. I read the original press release and this article is plain and simply misleading. Shame on you BVI NEWS
This is an obvious reference to the Hotel on Anagada that is involved in a dispute with the taxis. In spite of the hotel being one of the BVIs 5 Star Trip Advisor winners and the taxis being a national disgrace , we all know whose side the Trade Department is on.
What you “TRADE” needs to stop is all the illegal trading and selling of goods and services in the Construction, Electronics, Fishing, Boating, Food, Car parts, Mechanic and all the other things that people without “TRADE LICENSES” is doing and under mining the Legal Businesses who have to pay NHI, TAXES, Trade License Fees, Social Security, Rental Fees, Mortgages, Bank Fees, Incorporation Fees and all the other RED TAPE FEES by start doing what is necessary to arrest and hold these people accountable for under mining the ECONOMY of this country.
I’m truly disappointed in BVINews for sensationalising this story. The original release is no where centered around ‘enforcing penalities’ but rather trying to encourage ‘ONEBVI’ and making the lives of our brothers and sisters in the sister islands more comfortable. But I guess it’s a matter of ‘clicks’ and not ‘real news’. *shrugs*
I hear there is a business called Amazon that is selling stuff to people in the BVI without a trade license. Sure the brave officers of the Trade Department should be closing it down.
When you come to chech on trade licenses, chech on those ferry companies that are tagging the free lance tourists from the cruise ships in Tortola and sending them to VG for their safaris whose drivers have no taxi license to drive them to the, Baths and back. Leaving the poor taxi drivers who have to meet the DMV at the end of the year with renewals and medical expenses. Do you think that is fair Ms. K Cristopher? They collecting their ferry fare plus the taxi money. ( SHAME)
But there is a God who will look out for all in his time.
Bye.