Premier: BVI ‘will not be bullied’ in USVI charter dispute
Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley has made it clear that the BVI ‘will not be bullied’ amid growing tensions over economic policies affecting the marine sector.
He raised concerns about an economic imbalance favouring the US Virgin Islands (USVI) over the British Virgin Islands (BVI), particularly in the charter industry.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Deputy Premier Julian Fraser on Friday, February 28, Wheatley acknowledged the interdependence between the two territories but argued that the USVI benefits significantly from BVI waters.
“The USVI charter boat companies rely on the BVI for excursions, entertainment and natural attractions, however, there have been challenges over the years in regard to equity,” Wheatley stated.
While the BVI benefits from the USVI’s Cyril E. King International Airport as a transit hub for air and ferry travel, Dr Wheatley highlighted the disproportionate gains in the marine industry. He noted that the BVI currently collects an annual fee of $200 per vessel for the commercial vessel license, while the USVI charter industry contributes nearly $100 million to the USVI economy.
Review of legislation
In response, the Premier said his administration is reviewing the Commercial Recreational Vessel License Act, which governs the charter industry. The legislation has not been amended since 1992,.
“The legislation has not been updated or fees revised in 33 years to keep pace with the appropriate increases needed to meet government’ growing administrative costs nor have fees logically corresponded to the weekly charges for yacht charters which have dramatically risen based on strong demand for access to the BVI charters for many years,” Wheatley explained. “All I’m seeking is an appropriate balance.”
The issue escalated after USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr. requested an emergency session with the USVI Legislature to discuss imposing a 25 percent tariff on imports from the BVI and introducing travel fees for non-residents crossing between the two territories. The Bryan administration has indicated its readiness to provide lawmakers with data and impact assessments to support the debate, urging the legislature to evaluate the potential impact on businesses, residents, and travelers.
Wheatley acknowledged the sudden escalation of the issue and said he has invited Governor Bryan to visit the BVI to discuss potential negotiations. However, he maintained that any actions taken to harm the BVI would inevitably affect the USVI as well.
“We’re not going to be bullied. I’ll say that to you. Those type of tactics will have no impact on my decisions whatsoever,” Dr Wheatley asserted.
BVI’s proposed charter fee hikes at root of USVI’s tariff threat
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The USVI like that neighbor that always over by you eating out your fridge and the minute you try to say or do anything to make it a more fair exchange is like you a bad friend.
everyone will lose while the leaders bicker
Blah blah blah…Take it or leave it ..Simple
Let the chops fall where they may.Be aware the BVI is the major feeder and conduit of illegal immigrants, human trafficking illegal drugs and all that ” good stuff” via the USVI and Puerto Rico and Florida. Trump is the President and Trump will trump allyo rump to his satisfaction in a heart beat..sooo no problem for them but us ??? I anxious to see the bachanal..long overdue and Bryan must do what Bryan must do. He has to eat and tisvthe BVI,his ” peeps* who muck up everybody good thing which coming soon to an end.I am confident USVI will survive.BVI with their angst towards their UK and any and all assist offered…well they should reap more comfort in self annointed misery.
People like you always come on here with your anti-BVI people statements. Natalio should have never made the agreement when he was heading the unity Government to allow the usvi yachts to come through.
The truth is that the USVI doesn’t have any good sailing in their waters it is all ours and when the US dollar was granted to the BVI it was to aid in trade. For the BVI supplied the USVI with agricultural produce for st Thomas.
st. Thomas had the us name but not their presence. It was in the 60s when the United States started sending produce and pumping money into the economy down there. The BVI people are fighters and survivors.
Sail much? Evidently nothing beyond BVIs, based on your ignorant comment. Besides, who wants to sail in the BVis and pay $10 for a beer and $ 15 for a rum pinch everywhere you go? Fair to say BVis does have nice cruising grounds. Too bad it’s managed as if every person who goes there has a bottomless pit of money.
Sorry Mr. premier but as an marine industry professional here in the BVI I must say that you are totally clueless about how the Marine indstry works. The BVI makes many more millions of dollars from the industry than what the USVI does and now you want a share of the revenue the USVI makes…? WTF…? Charter boats operate mostly at a break even or in many cases at a loss. The cost of running a charter boat are astrinomical and the higher fees that you are proposing will likely put some operators out of business resulting in less money being spent and losses of jobs…maybe even mine.
In observing the input on “Charterboat Owners Group” discussion page for many years the conscenses is that due to high operating costs most charter boats break even at best with some operating at a loss and the only real benefit is that the owner gets to use his boat periodically at a reduced cost. You really need to welcome and truly listen to input from the BVI Marine Association…they are BVI marine industry people in the know…
I think the whole subject has been poorly misunderstood and taken totally out of context. The BVI exports virtually zero to the USVI, the issue Bryan is objecting to is the fees US citizens are being charged to enter the BVI as guests on US charter boats even though they spend millions of dollars cumulatively in the territory. Simply put, if US immigration charge non US citizens entering the USVI $16 per day for each day they spend in US territory along with various other fees the BVI hits US charter guests with, the penny might drop. Thats it in a nutshell.
If it’s not profitable then do not run your costly charter boat in the BVI waters then. Case closed. $200 a year is an insult. You think bvi vessels can go and vacation in USVI waters so easily? Move with that ‘turn the other cheek’ talk
The USVI charter boats are coming over here, taking up all the mooring balls at the Baths , taking up the dock space at JVD. If it wasn’t profitable they wouldn’t have been doing it. Especially the multimillion dollar midnight expresses that shoot over. They charge guess couple thousands for a day charter. Some even come over here to pick up guests, do day charter and then leave. If roles were reversed, the US would heavily tax that industry.
In return the governor wants to tax everyone coming in and out of the USVI who is not a resident? Okay great. That will finally pressure the real Virgin Islands to expand our own airport.
Boats from USVI keep our businesses in JVD alive, along with many of the marine services businesses on Tortola. Some entitled people on local yachts have sold their industry out and have you very confused, Mr. Premier. Look at who is from here. Look at who is for here. Be careful not to cut off our collective noses just to spite an enemy which does not exist.
“The legislation has not been updated or fees revised in 33 years to keep pace with the appropriate increases needed to meet government’
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Let’s start there. Let that sink in for a moment. Legislation nor fees have NOT been revised in 33 years!
Clearly, prices have gone up for everything in those 33 years. Thus, there is a need for not only revised legislation but updated fees as well.
There are some numbers floating around about the new annual fees which appears high/exorbitant. The BVI needs to be reasonable in it’s annual price increase. The question is by how much? What is fair to either side?
While I agree annual fees needs revisions, I also believe they should be reasonable.
There is also a tremendous trade imbalance that needs redress and should be part of this discussion/negotiation as well.
Now, I am a product of both countries, and I am sort of in the middle, but fair is fair. Both leaders need to sit down and hash this out.
We have been historical friends and trade partners decades on end, and pretty much one people as we share friends and family across the ocean for much of our existence.
I am disappointed & surprised that the governor of the USVI would pull a Trump tariff card being a democratically elected governor knowing full well that tariffs are not apart of the Democratic party’s platform.
He should know also that a trade war thru tariffs is in no one’s best interest and will just drive up the cost for goods on either side.
Given the tremendous trade imbalance between both countries which favors the USVI, they stand to lose more should the BVI reciprocate with a 25% similar tariffs.
I doubt legally the Governor of the VI can slap tariff on the BVI on his own without the approval of Washington. The thought of him kissing up to you know who to do so will not be met nicely by the democratic party establishment.
Even with a Washington approval, it would be a darn shame if he does proceed given our historical, economic, and family ties. In my view, that would be tantamount to black on black economic crime, and it will have far reaching consequences for both countries.
So let me say this: We are brothers and sisters separated by some water. We are having a little family fight right now over essentially money. We should not let money come between us. I know we all have to eat, but we don’t have to hurt each other in the process.
Let cooler heads prevail. Both governments need to sit down and hash out our differences in a reasonably and beneficial manner that’s acceptable to both sides without damaging who we are and have been forever as a people.
I understand the money issue, but in my view while money is important, our historical friendship is equally as important.
Don’t throw away the baby with the bathwater. Sit down and hammer this out, shake hands, and get on with it, and remain friends.
The Governor of the VI is Daniel Pruce. The USVI is NOT the Virgin Islands.
You are caught up in the semantics of how some view the BVI vs the USVI that will be of no consequence to the overall issue at hand or how it’s resolved. Everyone knows who is who.
This is nothing a distraction that will be irrelevant in the resolution of this matter. It will solve nothing.
Do you have an opinion apart from the semantics of who is who?
By the way, I don’t post for likes or care if you dislike. I am here for mature audiences only if you care to engage further. If not, all the best.
They have been getting bullied. The US Virgin Islands have been using our name for decades without any repercussions. It has reached a point where they claim that we are not the Virgin Islands, but they are.
Truth be told when the fabled Christopher Columbus first encountered the Virgin Islands in 1493, he named them “Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes,” which translates to “Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins.” This name was inspired by the legend of Saint Ursula and her companions. Over time, the name was shortened to the Virgin Islands. The name encompassed the entire archipelago, which includes both the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands
The name of this country has always been the Virgin Islands. The USVI, originally the Danish West Indies, were purchased by the United States in 1917, after being under Danish rule from 1672. The territory was then renamed the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Meanwhile, the Virgin Islands has never undergone a name change. By your logic, the state of New Mexico should have the right to call itself Mexico because it was once part of Mexico. Nowhere else in the world can you find another country using another country’s name.
Ever since the push to move the British out of the BVI things have been confused. Whilst we are the VI. Everyone including ourselves know us as the BVI. Since the push for independence this has increasingly seen to be a problem. The BVI tourist board struggles with this most as so does teh financial servies industry. Removing the British just causes confusion even though Virgin Islands is technically and legally correct, it does not help to use it for everyday conversation and interaction.
“Government’s growing administrative costs” – there is the crux of the problem. Have the cojones to cut the budget so you don’t have to constantly borrow and raise taxes and fees, and so you can afford to maintain the infrastructure and provide quality services.
Adjust fees appropriately, but stop looking to suck every last dime from the population to maintain a bloated public service. Eliminate the “political advisors” and do-little upper ranks of the “public service”.
Remember natalio Wheatley born in st Thomas so he not going fight his home country, please allow Fraser or Myron to fight that.
Interesting. So he’s a natural born US citizen. Wonder if he’s stayed up to date filing those IRS 1040 forms that require all US citizens to report their worldwide income, not to mention having to report foreign (to US) bank accounts with more than $ 10k. The latter carries big penalties. The former got Al Capone in jail.
can be confrontational in regard to restrictive international trade laws but it’s the mother countries that make the final decisions. NOT the USVI or the VI colonies in this trade battle .
Wait, wasn’t Myron born in Antigua?
Wait, wasn’t Lorna born in Anguilla?
Wasn’t The Hon. Marcus Garvey born in Jamaica, but perished fighting for the entire Black race?
On both sides the thinking has been usurped, derailed and twisted.
Premier say he won’t be bullied? Wait until The governor involves trump. I’m already seeing trump making a big international political deal out of this crap he knows nothing about nor cares to give a crap about.
VIP take that this is the same management you had over here last election voicing off
bvi been harder tighter for long time on usa boat no drop off past clear etc. bvi have kids and healthcare and whatever in us all day . .