STATEMENT BY PREMIER AND MINISTER OF FINANCE
DURING THE NINTH SITTING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FOURTH HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Thursday, June 11, 2020

BVI PORTS AUTHORITY CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD

Mr. Speaker, today it is my pleasure to announce that Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr. Kelvin E. Hodge as the Chairman of the BVI Ports Authority Board for a period of three years effective May 13.

He is a business entrepreneur and is owner and manager of Kelly’s Hardware Store, West End, Tortola. He has served the Public Service for 37 years working with the Department of Information Technology and the Treasury Department, Government of the Virgin Islands. He also served as a member of the Public Service Commission for a period of one year effective March 26, 2019.

As the Government of the Virgin Islands continues to move the Virgin Islands forward in BVILOVE, we continue to work together with the Public Service and the people to transform the Territory into a leading regional economy by 2025 through Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Local and Foreign Investment.

A key priority for us is transformation. We are indeed transitioning into a new direction that is focused on a legacy of empowerment of our people.

Toward this end, I wish to say that the team at the BVI Ports Authority is continually transitioning, and I want to thank former Chairman of the BVI Ports Authority Board Mr. Nathaniel Isaac, for taking the team through the transition phase. Now it is up to the new Chairman and his Board appropriately advising the BVI Ports Authority in advancing into the next phase, which is transformation.

I am confident that Mr. Hodge will work diligently with his team to improve operational performance and ensure the BVIPA fully delivers on its significant potential for enhanced port services and improvement projects.

Mr. Speaker, I deeply appreciate the significant contributions over the previous months of service to the Authority by those who most recently led the Ports, specifically through this Covid-19 health pandemic. Their service and dedication cannot go unnoticed.  And while we made some progress, we must meet our own expectations and now need to move aggressively to secure our foundation for growth during this new regular.

We need to accelerate operational improvement and make sure we are taking appropriate action to deliver on our commitments for the remainder of this year.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to have enormous confidence in the BVI Ports Authority’s team and its commitment in their continued role in keeping the supply chain moving during this pandemic and beyond.

I thank you.