One Mart owner Mark Vanterpool thinks Virgin Islands residents should have more local places to shop. And by that, he means they shouldn’t have to go more than a few …
March 21, 2022
March 21, 2022
Work starts on public company register
A year and a half after Premier Andrew Fahie promised to work with the United Kingdom toward establishing a public register of beneficial ownership by 2023, he has announced that …
March 17, 2022
Territory added to EU ‘grey list’
The Virgin Islands has been added to the European Union’s “grey list” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere, the EU Council announced after its meeting on …
March 17, 2022
VI on board with ‘dizzying’ Russia sanctions
As Virgin Islands firms scramble to implement sanctions against Russian financial institutions and individuals in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, BVI Finance CEO Elise Donovan is clapping back at …
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March 10, 2022
BVITB request for more funds rebuffed
The head of the BVI Tourist Board told legislators last year that the agency needed $15 million to do its job in 2022, when tourism is expected to recover by …
March 9, 2022
FSC recognises digital exchange
The Financial Services Commission has announced that an Asian exchange focusing on digital securities has been admitted to the territory’s list of recognised exchanges. It’s the latest move in an …
February 28, 2022
A day charter boat with history
As the Anne Bonny drifts past the cruise pier, an ethereal female voice pours out of the speakers: “Villainous, infamous, Anne Bonny…”. Next to the massive, gleaming cruise ships moored …
February 28, 2022
Report: Virgin Islands to be grey listed
Government is monitoring reports that the Virgin Islands will be added to the European Union’s grey list of “non-cooperative tax jurisdictions” along with Bermuda, Israel, Russia and others, Premier Andrew …
February 21, 2022
Online work permit system on hold
The online work permit system at the Department of Labour and Workforce Development has gone offline indefinitely, according to a government bulletin released on Monday. The announcement came amid an …
February 21, 2022
CDB: Service economies to grow 4.8% in 2022
The Caribbean Development Bank is projecting gross domestic product growth of 9.1 percent across its 19 borrowing member countries in 2022, accelerating the regional economic recovery that started last year. …
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February 14, 2022
Overnight arrivals dropped in 2021
New tourism numbers are in for 2021: About 50,000 overnight guests arrived on Virgin Islands shores in all of 2020. The fall is dramatic when compared to previous years. Before …
February 14, 2022
CDB: Paraquita grid could be regional model
A planned solar P/V microgrid project in Paraquita Bay could serve as a model for similar renewable energy products throughout the Caribbean, according to Daniel Best, the Caribbean Development Bank’s …
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February 12, 2022
ITA to be fully staffed soon, director says
The International Tax Authority will finally be fully staffed when another six employees join the ballooning department to help it handle the tax information requests that have flooded in since …
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February 10, 2022
Charter ‘communication gap’ criticised
There is a “communication gap” between the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry, Her Majesty’s Customs and the public, according to Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley. During the Standing …
January 31, 2022
Incorporation gains explained in SFC
Last year was a “fantastic year” for Virgin Islands financial services, according to Simon Filmer, a BVI Finance board member and managing director of Vistra. Speaking to the Standing Finance …
January 31, 2022
Trade boss: NDP biz loan programme flopped
Despite considerable interest from entrepreneurs, government has no plans to enact another low-interest loan programme for small businesses after the previous programme collapsed following Hurricane Irma, according to Karia Christopher, …
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January 25, 2022
VI electricity costs near region’s average
Recent studies of global broadband and mobile data pricing from United Kingdom-based telecommunications provider Cable.co.uk haven’t turned out well for the Virgin Islands, which has consistently shown to have some …
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January 24, 2022
VI lags region in tourism recovery
Even as the Virgin Islands tourism industry experiences a rebound following the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, numbers released last month reveal that the territory underperformed the Caribbean as a …
January 17, 2022
Online system now limited to new work permits
The much-touted online work permit system has gone partially offline again after launching less than six months ago, acting Labour Commissioner Michelle McLean said last month. Effective Dec. 15, the …
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January 17, 2022
19 firms apply to build microgrid
Despite technical glitches during a public opening ceremony on Friday, the BVI Electricity Corporation received 19 applications for pre-qualification for a proposed Caribbean Development Bank funded microgrid project in Paraquita …
January 17, 2022
Q3 incorporations up again
Incorporations soared in the third quarter of 2021, continuing a turnaround that began early last year. More new companies formed in the Virgin Islands in Q3 than in any quarter …
January 12, 2022
TRC plans to change licensing rules
A requirement to administer telecommunications businesses locally — as well as the removal of provisions for obsolete technologies like payphones — may be part of revised licensing requirements as the …
January 12, 2022
Crowley cuts back, but VI safe for now
The maritime shipping giant Crowley has pulled out of parts of the Leeward Islands, but it will continue to serve the Virgin Islands, a company spokesman told the Beacon this …
December 14, 2021
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, …
December 13, 2021
Cyber attacks ‘becoming more sophisticated’
Every business is vulnerable to cybersecurity threats regardless of its size, and Virgin Islands businesses should assess their risks and invest in appropriate preventive measures, two VI executives said during …
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