Vanterpool touts BVI’s potential as regional transhipment hub
Political hopeful and businessman Mark Vanterpool has suggested that the BVI could one day generate significant revenue by developing a transhipment port, arguing that the territory’s strategic location in the Caribbean gives it a potential advantage in global shipping.
Speaking on the Morning Facts show, Vanterpool said ports represent a major economic opportunity for the territory and could become an important source of government revenue if properly developed.
He explained that modern shipping relies heavily on transhipment, a process where large cargo vessels unload thousands of containers at a central hub before those containers are redistributed to smaller ships serving various destinations across the Caribbean, North America, Central America and South America.
According to Vanterpool, transhipment ports earn substantial revenue from handling and transferring cargo. He pointed to existing facilities in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Panama as examples of successful regional hubs. The former Communications and Works Minister said he began exploring the concept while serving in government and was informed that the BVI is strategically positioned along major Atlantic shipping routes.
But Vanterpool noted that he would not support locating such a facility in Road Town because of the level of activity involved and the potential for congestion. Instead, he suggested that another location in the territory could be considered.
He recalled visiting major shipping centres overseas, including Hong Kong, where he observed cranes moving containers between ships with remarkable efficiency.
“This is not rocket science,” Vanterpool said as he described the highly automated nature of modern cargo operations.
Vanterpool also revealed that he held discussions with officials from China during his time in office, who expressed interest in the development of a Caribbean transhipment facility.
According to Vanterpool, a successful transhipment operation in the BVI could potentially generate more revenue than the territory’s financial services industry, which remains the Virgin Islands’ leading economic pillar. While no formal proposal currently exists for such a project, Vanterpool’s comments have added to ongoing discussions about diversifying the BVI economy and identifying new sources of sustainable revenue beyond tourism and financial services.
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Must be talking bout the cargo shipments Andrew was trying to establish because where are you going to put this
He is right that a facility of this kind would likely need to be placed outside of Road Town, perhaps on a sister island. He is also right that the BVI is strategically positioned to become a regional hub.But location alone will not make us a hub. The real change must be in mindset.The greatest change required will be cultural. Too often, there is a lack of urgency in how business is handled. And when that need for urgency is expressed,instead of being met with professionalism , it is sometimes met with resistance, false pride, and an attitude that slows the process even further.
That cannot work in a serious business environment. For business people, time is money. Delay has a cost,and inefficiency has consequences.
If the BVI wants growth, we must also accept the discipline that growth requires. Otherwise, we cannot complain when outside labour is brought in to provide the energy, urgency, and efficiency needed to get the job done.
The physical space necessary for the establishment of a transportation hub is greater than the size of Road Town – it is silly to suggest that this could be located in the BVI unless we are going to reclaim the whole of Road Harbour – from Prospect Reef to CTL – and half way to Peter Island.
Let’s try to get back into the real world with ideas for the development of the BVI.
You obviously did not read the article , he clearly said NOT Road Town. . One of the reason this man is so sucessful is because he has a CAN DO attitude. He is driven purposeful and does not focus on “can’t”.
so where this shipping hub can be placed then smart man? Anegada? lol
Is wickhams Cay as we know it now an original Land mass? Or did it take a forward thinking English innovator who thought to himself, WHY NOT? Why does it have to be what it always has been? why cant we envision something different? It is time for our won local innovator to get anoportunity to move the Territory forward.
@ is….
Turning what is now known as Wickams Cay into a landmass created Road Town’s drainage problems and the area’s vulnerability of storm surge.
It would have been better if Bird Cay and Dead Horse Cay had been left where they were in Road Harbour.
Mark sounds like a man is desperation! My people, please don’t be fooled again. Don’t allow yourself to be easily bought. He will only sell us out….
No Space… then move faster, process faster, robots & automation, 24 hour service
That man is crazy you all bearly have space for one large container vessel and a port that can hold 1000 containers what are you talking about the whole world is listening to all those clowns talking just to get in power
There goes…. Natures Little secrets
And look at the photo he used that is st Lucía.
He didnt use any phot , he dosent own the publication , that was their choice to feature that photo. Disagree with him on facts not feelings.
Where on earth are you going to put it? The “earth” in this instance being the small island of Tortola!
Forty years ago, Virgin Island poet Sheila Hyndman (1958-1991) began work on a novel that traced the story of her beloved Virgin Gorda, generation by generation, from its far beginnings to its unimagined ends. The unimagined ends being the island as a site for a nuclear power station.
Perhaps Sheila’s prophesy was not all that far fetched.
This is just another example of desperate spaghetti throwing. The idea that if enough ideas are thrown about people will say – ah, he is an ‘action man’. Come’on. Bring realism and practicality into the equation.
He knows that we will need another port. This one we have is much too small for his big plan. I am one of those who thinks we another and bigger cruise ship dock, cruise is the future and the ships are building bigger
How can you have a very polluting trans-shipment hub in the midst of a pristine tourism product that we have to protect. It’s our calling card. Once we pave over the islands with development and more development, greed and more greed, no one will see us as a destination worth visiting. And We do not want China saddling us with debt. That is what they do in developing countries.
We have to build capacity first then we entertain this kind of proposals. Caps can barely function with the few small business in Bvi – most of the time its down. Bvi ports and customs need upgrading to international standards including comprehensive training for staff.
Small Minds Would Say: Can Never Happen.
A Jimmy Cliff Mind Would Say: We Can Get It If We Really Want It. Big Minds Think Big. Small Minds Are Always Fearful.
I am not sure shipping works the way that Mark thinks it does. When manufacturers like China or the US make goods for export, they ship it directly to where they are being sold. I am not sure where he gets the idea that it gets offloaded at some regional hub, re-sorted, and then shipped onward to another destination. That just isn’t how shipping works.
Is the good gentlemen forgetting that he was in politics for over 20 years and as a Minister for a large portion of that time.
Get out of here with these mind games!
Didn’t Andrew try to make Tortola a trans shipment hub ? He got caught !
What a dumb idea. Can barely process cargo that’s for the BVI.
Noel Lloyd was called crazy when he spoke of making Anegada a Container Port. Fat Hogs Bay Harbor is bigger than Road Harbor and Beef Island has plenty of flat land for such a project. Our biggest problem here is our people’s selfish small mentality. Back in the days gold and other resources from Central and South America transited through the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico before being escorted by the Spanish Armada unto Spain. We have a history of being a strategic maritime location and with an International Airport at Beef Island and Container Port we could become an internationally recognized Port with tremendous economic potential for these islands.Do we want to join the Big League or remain a sleepy back-water.
Fill in acros West End Police Station all the way up to Fort Recovery.
People who live in Long Beach California which has a huge port suffer from high rates of asthma and lung diseases due to high rates of pollution from the port of Long Beach. Is that what we want?? Endless development comes at a cost to human lives.
It’s all about money.
Ha ha ha ha.
Anyone every tried to get a letter through the Post Office and you think VI can handle letters as big as houses.
Ha ha ha.
A very silly suggestion.