A senior executive of the cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited has accused the Virgin Islands government of running an unfair, nontransparent bidding process to select a developer for proposed improvements to the territory’s cruise ship facilities.
In a Jan. 17 letter to Governor Boyd McCleary, John Tercek, RCCL’s vice president for commercial development, alleged that the tender process was undertaken “merely to satisfy the United Kingdom’s oversight concerns” and favoured a rival bidder, the consortium Tortola Ports Partners.
However, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith and Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool disputed those claims, saying during the National Democratic Party’s radio programme Monday night that the tender process was conducted in an “open and transparent” manner.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Beacon Monday, also asks Mr. McCleary to help the firm recover about $190,000 that RCCL spent to prepare the bid.
See the March 21, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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