Christmas shopping metamorphosed into an informal barbecue and dance party last Thursday night in hopes of coaxing night-time shoppers to a small but thriving area across from the Road Town …
Ports: Fee hikes won’t take effect next year
The planned increases in port fees — already postponed repeatedly after an outcry from businesses and the opposition — will not take effect in 2022 after all, Premier Andrew Fahie …
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VI gets its first overwater bungalows in North Sound
When the Bitter End Yacht Club reopens this winter after a grueling four-year rebuild, it will have a feature unique in the Virgin Islands: the territory’s first overwater bungalows. The …
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Survey to assess workforce needs
Tourism is once again in full swing in the Virgin Islands, but staffing remains a key concern for businesses struggling to get back on their feet after the pandemic shutdowns, …
Cruise shippers get BVI Now app update
The BVI Ports Authority and the BVI Now app are partnering on a major 2022 update to the app in an effort to solve that problem, according to the app’s …
Financial Services Week about regulation, ‘gatekeepers’
In the financial services industry, regulation is often considered a burden. But during this year’s Financial Services Week, the industry chose to look at it differently, according to BVI Finance …
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Financial firms urged to consider biodiversity
Banks, investment funds and insurers could boost their own bottom line by making green decisions that help close an estimated $800 billion per year “biodiversity funding gap” that has been …
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As tourism returns, staff shortage a concern
After one of the roughest years for tourism in recent memory, hotels, yachts and villas are beginning to fill up again at last, but stakeholders fear that staff shortage and …
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‘He runs a tight ship’: Robert Mathavious saluted
In its early days, the Virgin Islands financial services industry was “the Wild West,” according to Michael Riegels, a founder of Harneys and one of the five practitioners who laid …
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Young entrepreneurs to sell at pier park
Two formerly empty kiosks at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park will be busy for the rest of the year with young entrepreneurs selling drinks — lemonade for the …
Waterfront Park’ coming to Port Purcell
Many people like the smell of bread baking, but JOMA Properties CEO Colin O’Neal prefers the smell of “freshly poured concrete,” he said. And Mr. O’Neal is looking forward to …
Ex-guv: Drug links alleged among ‘highest’ officeholders
Though launching the Commission of Inquiry was one of the most difficult decisions he has made, former Governor Gus Jaspert said during a COI hearing last week that it was …
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Prices spike as VI feels supply chain pinch
Complaints about skyrocketing prices and a scarcity of some goods have been popping up on local social media, and Virgin Islands stakeholders with knowledge of the shipping industry said these …
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Saba Rock opens doors
Saba Rock Resort has been through more than a few storms since the 1960s, when scuba diver and treasure hunter Herbert “Bert” Kilbride used it as his laid-back North Sound …
Auditors stand by reports, refuting PS
Auditor General Sonia Webster and Internal Auditor Dorea Corea fired back against criticism of their reports on Friday, standing by their claims that the Premier’s Office refused to cooperate with …
ICIJ: Pandora fallout could continue for years
After the release of global news coverage about some 12 million documents revealing the offshore assets of about 300 politicians and 35 current and former heads of state facilitated through …
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Despite dismal numbers, Tourist Board hopeful
Tourism numbers for the first half of 2021 are in, and although 26,601 visitors from January to July is a relatively dismal showing, the BVI Tourist Board is optimistic that …
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Willock ordered to pay legal costs
A judge has dismissed Speaker of the House Julian Willock’s claim that government should pay legal costs exceeding $121,000 related to his withdrawn request for an injunction against three Commission …
Vanterpool denies skirting law on pier project
Former Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool denied this week that he unlawfully “directed and controlled” the troubled cruise pier project, which eventually saw cost overruns totalling more than $30 …
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‘Pandora Papers’ data leak involves mostly VI firms
More than two thirds of the companies named in a massive new offshore data leak analysed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists were incorporated through the Virgin Islands, the …
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COI lobs ‘potential criticisms’ over BVI Airways
Before the $7.2 million BVI Airways project collapsed, former Premier Dr. Orlando Smith had no reason to think that the lawyer who brokered the deal wasn’t acting in the best …
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Deputy speaker grilled on contracts
The Commission of Inquiry has suggested that House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Neville Smith breached section 67 of the Virgin Islands Constitution by failing either to vacate his seat or …
Willock: Lawyer costs ‘not my responsibility’
Speaker of the House Julian Willock has denied personal responsibility for paying legal costs related to his withdrawn request for an injunction against three Commission of Inquiry attorneys. Instead, his …
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Digital currency comes to Caribbean
This year, the Caribbean struggled with economic turmoil due to the ongoing pandemic, a major volcanic eruption in St. Vincent, and an earthquake in Haiti. But amid the upheaval, the …
China reins in US-listed companies
In a move that could impact the use of Virgin Islands structures, China’s government recently issued new guidelines aimed at increasing the supervision of some of the largest Chinese companies …