BVI News

‘They never want anything good in District One’ — Premier

Architectural designs of the new West End terminal on Tortola. Construction of the terminal is expected to begin in July 2022 and be completed by November 2023.

Premier Andrew Fahie has come out against persons that have questioned whether the government is able to fund the West End ferry terminal project.

The Premier previously disclosed that $11 million has been spent on the project thus far, but despite repeated protests from Opposition Leader Marlon Penn that the government doesn’t have funds for the project, Fahie has insisted otherwise.

“The few persons I’ve heard complain about whether the West End ferry terminal should happen or not are persons that I recognise that never want anything happen good in District One,” the Premier said at a recent press conference.

The Premier, who also serves as First District Representative, said the ferry terminal has been based in his district for years said he has been hearing about the West End ferry dock being improved since he was a young child.

“You could let [good things] happen in the districts where they are, that’s okay. But the minute you turn into District One to do anything there’s always an issue,” the Premier continued.

“We have reached to the point now where we are going to do it,” he added.

“I cannot give you the price – not that I know the price – I cannot give you the price because every project, whether done by government or otherwise you do an estimate of what you think the price will be,” the Premier stated when pressed about the cost of the project.

The Premier argued that once bids are out for tender, there is usually no way of knowing whether contractors will bid above or below those estimates that have been set for any given project.

“I really and truly respect the fact that people‘s democratic voice are being heard, but the West End terminal will be going out soon for tender for contractors and then after that we will be breaking ground and we will get the ferry terminal built,” Premier Fahie insisted.

He argued that the terminal promises to be the biggest revenue maker aside from Port Purcell, for Her Majesty’s Customs and the BVI Ports Authority among other areas and said it will allow for some 200,000 persons, including visitors to traverse the area within a year.

“That is worth the investment and that’s going to be done. The controversy over it is just persons who are trying to get us to stop the project. I respect that they have to exercise their democratic right but this project will be done,” the Premier added.

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23 Comments

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  1. Budget says:

    “I cannot give you the price – not that I know the price – I cannot give you the price because every project, whether done by government or otherwise you do an estimate of what you think the price will be” –

    that makes perfect sense, let’s not give a price at all and don’t put it in the budget so you can take as much from the project as you like!

    Like 25
    Dislike 1
    • F**L says:

      So how can you have a price for something you are putting out to tender? Obviously, they have a price in mind but will await the tender process to take its course. Would it not be counter-productive to disclose the price at this stage? Some people are so foolish…sheesh

  2. no secret says:

    District one is looking the same way Lavity left it decades ago…..No improvements

    Like 28
    Dislike 1
    • @ no secret says:

      You must stop telling lies. West end is not infested with crime like east end. You can leave your house door open in the west but not in the east. Lavity would agree so just tap it. The air is cleaner in the west than the east. Life in the east is miserable. Just ask TOLA radio and cut deep host. People are happier in the west because they don’t have to deal with filth like the east. Representation must represent something positive in the west agree.

      Like 5
      Dislike 12
      • VI East End Gyal says:

        Stop lie on East. The entire BVI has its criminalissues. I live East all my life and I does leave my vehicle engine running, bag in car, my front door always open. So stop painting East as though we are so bad off.

        Like 2
        Dislike 1
      • LOL says:

        “The air is cleaner in the west”, so the burning garbage must drift East, so why is it constantly choking us in the West. Fahie has been in charge of West for what 20 years and has not done anything for us.

    • me says:

      this man is so damn petty

      Like 3
      Dislike 1
  3. THIS BIG GUY says:

    SHOULD BE IN HOLLYWOOD ? IN ( I RUN THINGS ) OR ( WHEN I TALK NO DARM DOG BARK ) THOSE MOVIES ARE COMING SOON

  4. Whining child says:

    Stop spending the public’s money on over inflated projects. We are happy for a new ferry dock but not 11 million dollars for it. The same thing can be achieved cheaper, still look good and be fully functional. The Premier seems to not understand that Government should be fiscally responsible in how it’s spends the publics money. Fix the country and all the things that affect us daily!

    Like 26
    Dislike 2
  5. Expired says:

    Fast ferry technology has moved on so there is no need for an international ferry dock in West End from 2022 into the future. The present dock for the domestic JVD ferries is more than adequate until the next hurricane. All yachts should clear in and out in either JVD or Road Town.

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  6. VI Gyal says:

    Hon. Premier. Not sure why you have some people to blinded. You were the respresentative for D1 over 20 years and the government in which you were part of was inoffice ofr most of that. You should ask yourself, what have you done to develop D1? Now you become leader and want to poison every minds to gain back your seat. I really try to understand how my people get amnesia when they go to the polls.

    Like 22
    Dislike 1
  7. Ugh! says:

    Grow up Foy!

    Like 14
  8. sickening says:

    Hear this sorry excuse for a leader. BVI we really messed up this time!

    Like 15
  9. BVIslander says:

    Did I read correctly?

    “The Premier previously disclosed that $11 million has been spent on the project thus far,”

    Doing what? This West End Pier project needs it’s own COI, if you can tell me we spend 11$ million and the only thing we have to show is an image of an unattractive building looking like they copy it from a Dubai magazine.

    This man has been D1 Rep for over 20 years and please name THREE NOTABLE improvements he has done other than shovelings up rocks off the side of the road for a whatsapp video.

    Like 23
  10. What!!! says:

    “11 million so far”
    Can this be true?
    Show us the figures.

    Like 13
    Dislike 1
  11. SMH says:

    Te te I say! Chupes! NOTHING tangible to ever Report. Just negative childish remarks back and forth. Seriously, I am tired!

  12. $11m says:

    $11m for what???

    Like 10
  13. Really says:

    $11 million? West End must have a great sewer system if you were able to pies away $11 million so far.

  14. Rethink this says:

    Can you at least make it look like it belongs in the BVI?
    Why is made of glass and so ugly? Just be reasonable!!

    • Agree 100% says:

      It looks like some big hunker bunker that does not belong. Why didn’t they design something more aesthetically friendly to the entire West End landscape/environment. That thing is just too much in every sense of the word.

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