Business View Caribbean - October 2016 37
year – 10 percent of the territory’s annual revenue –
for capital projects.
One of those planned capital projects is a runway
expansion at the Terrance B. Lettsome International
Airport at Beef Island, which Vanterpool says will cost
between $150 and 200 million. The goal is to enable
BVI to receive more direct flights from places such as
Miami and New York. Currently, the territory is one of
the few places in the Caribbean where a traveler has
to make an extra stop before arriving.
The Ministry of Communica-
tions and Works is also mak-
ing a major push to expand
BVI’s broadband access. Its ap-
pointed Telecommunications
Regulatory Commission over-
sees four licensed operators in
the territory. “We have the right
connectivity,” says Vanterpool.
“We are very well interconnect-
ed through the undersea fiber
optic cables. So, the capacity is
there and we are pushing the
telecommunications operators
to expand their broadband of-
ferings at an affordable rate to
the public – more bandwidth and faster speeds to the
residents and businesses.”
BVI is also pursuing what Vanterpool calls its “green en-
ergy initiative.” “For example,” he says, “in the recent
past, we have changed all of our public street lighting
in the city to either LED or solar lights; and we’re doing
that throughout the territory, as the next step. We’re
seeking to develop wind energy, more solar energy,
and any other renewable energy, such as wave energy,
and so on. We’re going to be using rooftops and other
areas for solar. It’s a major plank that we have and we
are pushing very hard.”
“I think we’re at a point in the territory’s history, where
we’re making major upgrades to our road system,”
adds Vanterpool, enumerating yet another Ministry
initiative. “We’re also doing some major works to im-
prove our ports throughout the territory.” He continues:
“Roads, water, sewage – on all the islands, to make
sure that residents and visitors can be more comfort-
able. It’s all within our plan to improve our financial
services business and our tourism product so that
people can have good roads to drive on, a decent air-
port, good ports, and a consistent supply of electricity
and water. Also, we are focusing on making our city a
bit more modern than it has been – especially to keep
it clean and greener. We’re building more open space
parks and providing easier access to transportation
through the city, as well as better pedestrian access -
things for the territory to grow and develop.”
In other words, the Ministry of Communications and
Works is doing its job - tending to most of the constitu-
ents’ key issues.
