BVI News

‘Unavoidable’! Tender waived for over $1.3M in immigration detention and related services

The central administration complex in Road Town that houses several government offices. (GIS photo)

Government’s decision to waive the tender process for several business contractors for the provision of immigration detention and related services has been described as ‘unavoidable’.

According to a recent Cabinet release which detailed decisions made on February 9, the contractors are expected to provide security services, meals, and temporary lodging for persons held in detention by the Immigration Department.

The government said that requesting a waiver of the tender process in these instances in the amount of $1,368,700 is unavoidable, as they occur spontaneously and are therefore unforeseeable and unplanned.

The contractors listed for the provision of these services are Alfred Christopher doing business as Hotel Castle Maria, Top Priority Security Services Limited, D’Urville Carty doing business as Top Brass Security Services, Triple A Security Inc, Elton Leonard doing business as Bobby’s Market Place, and Thecla Hopkins doing business as Freedom Book Café.

Meanwhile, Cabinet decided that the funding for the associated costs for temporary lodging, security services and meals be provided via supplementary appropriations to the budget,.

The post-Cabinet release further stated that this is expected to be “regularised in the next schedule of additional provision”.

According to the BVI’s Public Finance Management Regulation of 2005, goods or services or construction works valued at or equal to $100,000 or greater are expected to be procured through a public tender process.

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16 Comments

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  1. "unavoidable" says:

    Seems that every single tender waiver has been unavoidable for this VIP administration. Are you really surprised that this was flagged in the COI as an issue whereby the territory is not getting value for their money? It is considered corruption in the entire world apart from the BVI..

    Like 35
  2. Big Richard says:

    Ok. Show us a breakdown of the expenses an WHO received the money.

    Like 14
  3. BVI Future says:

    Did I read this correctly- immigrants will stay in a hotel with security guards and have delivered meals to their rooms? Doesn’t this sounds like a vacation?

    What happens if they are house temporarily at the prison?

    Like 19
    • Marie Gizmo says:

      It is evident that the prison occupancy, is at maximum capacity. Fully occupied by the culturally violent, most of whom ,they and or their offsprings that are imports installed as a majority populace at the expense and degraded quality of life in a once idyllic Island of above character inhabitants.
      The financial and social cost is and continues to be devastating and will in the not too distant future leave a poverty and crime ridden shell in kinship with the other forsaken Caribbean holes.

      Like 8
      Dislike 1
    • Overcrowding says:

      Well another article online said that there “was” an immigration detention facility on the grounds of the prison at Balsam Ghut but that it has long been taken over for use by the prison. Therefore, I am guessing that the simple answer to your question is OVERCROWDING! Also, there are questions about international human rights/constitutional rights etc that may come into play, so another answer to your question could be LAWSUIT!

      Hope my response helps…

  4. What can I do for ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND says:

    You could build a permanent transit facility at the airport assuming you want to extradite these ‘visitors’ anyway but I guess you don’t actually want a solution, you just want to give some people some money..

    Like 11
  5. Marie Gizmo says:

    It is evident that the prison occupancy, is at maximum capacity. Fully occupied by the culturally violent, most of whom ,they and or their offsprings that are imports installed as a majority populace at the expense and degraded quality of life in a once idyllic Island of above character inhabitants.
    The financial and social cost is and continues to be devastating and will in the not too distant future leave a poverty and crime ridden shell in kinship with the other forsaken Caribbean holes.

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
  6. Freedom Book Cafe? says:

    Whilst the event is spontaneous there si no reason why a contractor cannot be tendered in advance, is price per head/night per person over the next 2 years.

  7. Overcrowding says:

    Well another article online said that there “was” an immigration detention facility on the grounds of the prison at Balsam Ghut but that it has long been taken over for use by the prison. Therefore, I am guessing that the simple answer to your question is OVERCROWDING! Also, there are questions about international human rights/constitutional rights etc that may come into play, so another answer to your question could be LAWSUIT!

    Hope my response helps…

  8. WTF says:

    You could clear the land across from the Hospital and build a warehouse in 4 months for $500K! Why the f**k are we investing in illegal immigrants? I agree they need to be treated in a humane manner while here but this is absolute f**king nonsense now.

    Like 16
  9. Really says:

    You land illegally in the US you are on the next flight back out, why do we have to accommodate them. And we all know they have been staying in Castle Maria for ages and I am sure the same security personal has been used, so why not tender for the future per head for when needed?

  10. Reality says:

    Why not house them with all the nicely dressed Arabs in the new west end terminal . At least when they escape the don’t have too far to go to get their ride to St Thomas .

  11. LIKE I WAS SAYING says:

    Wouldn’t it be better send them back home next day after they are caught ? and let their country pay for the flight ,and when they vegetarians home their country get back their money from them / and hey, am not a genius

  12. Just imagine says:

    If that $1.3M went…..
    To the schools
    To the roads
    To the water
    To the …..

    Like 10
  13. lol says:

    If you don’t conveniently plan for it…..

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