BVI Tourist Board 28.NOV.07
As soon as the sun rose on Saturday morning, over 90 people surrounded the Noel Lloyd / Palm Grove park pavilion to await their instructions as to which areas to tackle for the clean-up. Some came as concerned individuals; others came as groups and several as various local associations.

Their age ranged from 5 to 65 year old. Some were civil servants, politicians, and others were Road Town Business people who were tired of the unsightly garbage.

The massive city clean-up is just one of several joint initiatives that were held during Tourism Awareness Month, under the theme “Tourism is everyone’s business”. The City Manager’s Office, National Parks Trust, and Solid waste staff partnered with the BVI Tourist Board to make the City Clean Up a success.

A Day before the event BVI Tourist Board reps took digital images of the targeted areas, these were as follows;

• Old Banco to the old HM Prison
• Akara Building to Bobby’s Super Market
• Cruise Ship Pier to Waterfront Drive
• Village Cay to Captain’s Table
• BVI Taxi Stand to Festival Ground
• Akara Building to First Caribbean
• Pusser’s Pub to One Stop Mall
• Quastisky Building to Sunday Moring Well
• Palm Grove/Noel Lloyd Parking Lot to Vanterpool’s Drug Store
• Road Town’s HM/Prison to Sunday Morning Well
Groups that participated in this year’s event were assigned the above mentioned areas. They included, Rotaract, City Manager’s Group, The Association Of Guyanese in the BVI, Enis Adams Primary School, Ambassador’s Net Ball Club, All Stars Net Ball, H&E Preservation Club, Interact, Environmental Club at the Elmore Stoutt High School, BVI Saturday Morning Walkers, Dr. the Hon. Vincent Scatliffe and the District 4 Committee, BVI Platinum News, Charter Yacht Society and the Hon. Irene Penn O’Neal, At Large Representative.

Armed with gloves, rakes, heavy duty garbage bags, and wearing their BVI You’re Beautiful T-shirts, supplied by the BVI Tourist Board volunteers went straight to work, clearing out and picking up cans, bottles, styrofoam food containers, metal odds and ends and even car batteries.
“I can’t believe people would actually throw away half eaten plates of food on the street” one volunteer said, and another echoed that she picked up so much garbage that was leaning against the empty garbage bin, “people won’t even take time to throw it in the bin!”

After three hours of intense cleaning, a total of 150 garbage bags, car parts and plant debris were carried away by the Solid Waste Department. Courtney De Castro, a volunteer at the clean-up, used his personal truck to assist with carrying the garbage to the incinerator. “It was just so much, that we needed more trucks” he replied when asked why he was using his truck to help.


Volunteers were treated with assorted sandwiches, bottled water and juices after the event, and some relaxed on the benches in the park. The City Manager, Eugenia O’Neal, thanked the volunteers for their time and encouraged them to keep the BVI Beautiful by continuing their positive efforts, as well as adhering to the litter laws.

The Association of Guyanese in the BVI, was announced as the overall winner of the clean-up having made the most improvement to their designated area. For their hard work, they have been awarded a Day Sail for 6 people on a 40 FT Monohull courtesy of Horizon Yacht Charters, Coral Studio Gift Certificate valued at $100 and other prizes. First Runner up went to the Environmental Club at the Elmore Stoutt High School who went out of their designated spots to clean-up other areas. They will receive several prizes such as certificates at Colombian Emeralds, Scuba Dive Course courtesy of Aquaventure Scuba and other Tourist Board gift packages. Other prizes such as Afternoon Dive for 2 courtesy of Dive Tortola and a 2 tank dive courtesy of Sail Caribbean Divers will be awarded to individuals who went the extra mile. The clean up was judged based on the before- and- after photos of their designated areas.

Clean ups conducted in the past, included Long Bay/Beef Island, Smugglers’ Cove, Brandy Wine Bay Beach and Josiah’s Bay Beach, which took place in July 2006. During Environmental month, which was held in the June 2007, Trellis Bay was targeted.

Director of Tourism, Janis Edwards-Braithwaite indicated her hope that the City clean up was not a onetime initiative but that it will become a day to day continuous process among the people of the BVI to keep the BVI Beautiful.

Premier Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal

Government Information Service 28.NOV.07
My dear people, I give praise and thanks to Almighty God that the Virgin Islands Party Government has reached 90 days in office and it is possible to report to you some of the main achievements during those few months.

First of all what we have been able to do is unravel the mystery surrounding the construction of the Peebles Hospital and we now know that, yes we will be getting a shell, but it will be more than ($65,000,000) sixty-five million dollars, and that it cannot be completed within 18 months as you were led to believe.

You also know that a number of contracts were signed including one for four million dollars ($4,000,000) for work on the Annex to the present hospital, despite the fact that you were told that the Annex was completed, it is not completed. Presently the Government is negotiating with a contractor about the payment of Payroll Tax and those negotiations are not yet completed.

The Development Agreements have been tabled in the House of Assembly and instructions have been given for copies to be made so that people would be able to obtain copies from the Clerk of the House of Assembly. But my dear people most of these agreements have run into trouble. There is a dispute between the developer and the owners of Oil Nut Bay property and one does not know when that will be settled. You know what has happened to the Beef Island development proposal. That matter is before the courts and therefore we cannot discuss that.

As regards the Nail Bay, Virgin Gorda development Agreement, the agreement provides that when the public road from Pond Bay to Nail Bay is surfaced the developer will begin the project. Despite the fact that the previous Government signed several contracts and started the work, the road is not completed, and it will take several months before completion. In accordance with the agreement, it is only when the public road is completely surfaced the developer will begin the project. No monies were provided in the Budget for this road project although the then Chief Minister signed the agreement and we are seeking the necessary funds to carry out the works.

The Smugglers Cove Agreement provides for the Government to install water lines from where it terminates at Long Bay to Smugglers Cove and then the project would begin. I understand that when the estimates were made for the installation of this water line, the cost was four million dollars. Again this money was not provided and the work could not be done. Again the developer has informed me that he will await the installation of the water line before he starts the project. This matter is being considered and it is hoped that a decision will be taken soon.

It was possible to bring a supplementary appropriation before the House of Assembly on the 6th November and this was passed on the 13th November and it provided for a total of thirty-six million, two hundred and ninety thousand, one hundred dollars, ($36,290,100). With the passage of this supplementary appropriation, it was possible to pay off some of the debts especially that of the Tourist Board and other departments of Government and so return some order in the financial situation of the Territory. But we were not able to cover all and further consideration would have to be given to completing this exercise in December.

Despite these adverse situations we were able to forge ahead with some of our plans. The Ministry of Education and Culture was able to complete an agreement with the Methodist Church thus enabling the Early Childhood Centre to reopen on Jost Van Dyke. This is very welcomed by the people of Jost Van Dyke, where there are some 18 children attending the Centre. The after-school programme which was discontinued was restarted in several areas of Tortola. This is a most important programme as the schools are looked upon to do more and more to prepare students for the world of work.

Another achievement, the Ministry has launched an adopt-a-school programme where businesses and organizations adopt a school. A committee has been set up and several businesses have adopted schools. I am most grateful to those businesses, organizations and institutions that have agreed to participate in this programme, as it would give additional support to the schools and enhance the community’s understanding and support for the educational system.

In the Ministry of Works and Communications, the BVI Electricity Corporation is forging ahead with the laying of the underground lines, and also with the purchase of two new generators and ancillary equipment for Anegada. There are ongoing discussions about the Baughers Bay Water Plant, but we have the assurance that there will be a solution to the problem and that the supply of water has been assured. Plans are being prepared for several road projects and work should start early in 2008.

In the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour discussions have been held with the people of Anegada and the Anegada Lands Committee has been re-formed and recommendations will be coming to Cabinet for the allocation of plots to the Anegadians. The road is being cut from Leverick Bay Hill to Blunder Bay Hill in North Sound, Virgin Gorda and this will give the persons who have been allocated house plots in the area access to their plots so that they could begin building. At the same time an area at Coppermine in the Valley, Virgin Gorda is being surveyed for house plots.

As I said earlier, work is proceeding on the Hospital in Road Town. In the meantime discussions have been held with the owner of the house in Virgin Gorda, Valley near the Clinic, which the previous Government intended to purchase to be used as a hospital. It has been agreed that this house would be purchased but not for the hospital as the Government will pursue the plans to have a custom-made hospital built in Virgin Gorda and the building which will be purchased, since it is a four apartment building, will be used for the nurses or the medical officers quarters.

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Health has been working feverishly to see that the hospital is properly staffed. She has reported some success in that area and also to ensure that the grievances are being attended to.

In the Premier’s Office we have completed laying the rubberized track and the contractor is expected to come in soon to put down the lines for the lanes. As I announced in the House some of the electricity lines leading to the lights were damaged during the construction of the track and repairs are being carried out through the Recreation Trust.

A new Tourist Board would be appointed in a couple weeks time and after having discussions with the executive of the small hotels and villa association, I am convinced that it is necessary to have someone specially appointed to pay attention to the small hotels and villas so that our people can fully participate in the hotel and visitors industry. This person would be mandated to work with the owners of these places and help them in the marketing of their product. It would be quite a challenging job and the person must be able to interface with people easily.

In the Financial Services Industry, the Cabinet met with the Financial Services Commission to discuss their annual report which was for 2006 and their work plans for 2008. During our discussions it was agreed that the Commission would meet informally with the House of Assembly so that the Commission would be able to discuss with members matters pertaining to the financial services industry and it was also proposed that a seminar be held sometime next year for members of the House of Assembly and Permanent Secretaries and senior officials in order to get more people in the Territory to understand and appreciate what the financial services industry means to the Territory. This must be followed through.

The Territory was fortunate to have a visit of a Chinese delegation led by the Vice Minister of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China from the 8th – 10th November. Madam Ma who is the Vice Minister of Commerce is responsible for the department of Treaty and Law, American and Oceanian Affairs and Foreign Investment Administration.

The delegation had several meetings with key officials and the aim was to discuss matters such as procedures, regulations and policies of company registration and establishment, exposure of the information of registered companies, Administration of Foreign Exchange and taxes and cooperation with international and financial regulatory institutions. The People’s Republic of China is one of the BVI’s biggest customers in the financial services industry and we were glad that they could come and see how the jurisdiction is run.

We were also fortunate to appoint Dr. Charles Wheatley as Chairman of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. I wish to thank the former chairman for his service and I welcome Dr. Charles Wheatley as the new chairman.

I expect to leave the Territory on Tuesday, 27th November to attend the ninth annual Meeting of the Heads of Government of the United Kingdom, Caribbean Dependent Territories. At the Conference matters such as UK action plans for combating international corruption, constitutional modernization, OECD harmful tax initiatives, European Union Savings directive, Air safety International Civil Aviation Orgnaization (ICAO) audit, and Air Safety Support International (ASSI) experiences, outcomes and defectiveness will be discussed. Other matters include human rights, access to UK health care, the National Audit Office report on the management of risk in the overseas territories and environmental charters and climate change.

While in London I expect to have a one to one meeting with the Under Secretary of State, Mrs. Meg Munn, and I have been invited by the House of Commons Foreign Relations Committee to give evidence regarding the Territory. I also hope to meet with the BVI students studying in England. In addition I will hold discussions regarding the development of the Virgin Gorda Airport. This was a project started in 2002 but came to a halt immediately the previous government got into power, but realizing the importance of this airport in Virgin Gorda, this Government intends to develop the airport and this has been discussed with ASSI, and they are in full agreement.

Of course I will visit the famous BVI House and in fact some of my meetings with the private sector will be held there. I will also be having discussions with the Tourist Board officials from England, Germany and Italy.

It is rather sad that I should close this address by extending condolences to the Brewley family who lost a son this morning. It is sad to see young people lose their lives like that.

I do hope that everything will go well while I am away. The Honourable Deputy Premier Dancia Penn Sallah, OBE, Q.C. will act as Premier during my absence.

Thank you very much for listening and may God bless you and these beautiful British Virgin Islands.