Who’s fooling who? Nothing will happen with airport — Vanterpool
Fourth District Representative Mark Vanterpool has argued that government will not be ready to proceed with any work on an extension to the Terrance B Lettsome airport during its current term in office.
Vanterpool said he came to that conclusion based on sections of the government’s medium-term fiscal plan document.
The document stated in part: “Based on the fluidity of our current fiscal environment, due to the impact of a pandemic and the constant monitoring of our fiscal situation required, we thought it would be premature to include this [airport] loan plan for 2023 in the 2022 to 2024 medium-term fiscal plan.”
Notwithstanding this, an allocation was made in the recurrent budget for the design, engineering and environment preparatory works for the airport project.
“This means that the airport isn’t ready to go and would not be ready to go in the next two or three years,” Vanterpool said.
“This is a point where you’re starting to do a new environmental impact study, you are starting to do a new design for an airport and you’re starting to do new engineering for an airport, to be completed in this government’s term? Who is fooling who?” Vanterpool asked.
He urged government to extend the airport that is there currently to be able to accommodate flights and to be able to improve airlift capacity into the territory at this time.
Vanterpool called discussions on the airport project a very crucial infrastructural programme that was talked about every year and was highly needed.
But according to the senior legislator, whenever it is discussed, one government comes in and has one plan then another enters office and makes changes, leaving the project at a constant standstill.
“We are going backward again to start new planning, new design, new engineering, to be completed when?” Vanterpool further questioned.
He said the government should review plans that are in place currently and make any necessary adjustments as they wish.
“An airport development programme isn’t something that can necessarily be achieved in one term,” Vanterpool stated.
The legislator said the government under which he had served aimed for an airport development project but this did not come to fruition.
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That is a good thing because if they do the work it will be riddled with kickbacks and cost overruns, the u.k needs to be in charge of this project
Anguilla and Dominica passed us full speed ahead
to Delta… They operating A220 that can do the trip without an extension.
Better be sooner than later as the USVI is rumoured to be considering closing their marine border to BVI commercial vessels in retaliation for the BVI closing our border to USVI commercial vessels.
That would mean no ferries! This government has to go!!
The USVI realized since our borders were closed, that a large number of the tourist landing on St. Thomas were coming to the BVI via Ferry. By the our borders closed their tourism boosted and now they want to keep it that way.
He should know. Weh deh 46 plus millions uband the ndp teef?
All ayuh sickening
VIP NDO OPP PPP ICP NMP SIP RIP
What about loans for the schools. Other Caribbean islands y’all like to feel you better than have fully working schools and kids learning all day and still have better international airports. We behind, our pasts and current governments been keeping us behind with the squandering and not having no visions. Our infrastructure still 3rd world.
All their visions are for themselves not for the country.
that was funny ? are you a rapper or sumMMM