Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Get It Under Control! Nothing Kills An Economy Faster Than Crime

Get It Under Control! Nothing Kills An Economy Faster Than Crime

Former Minister for Education Myron Walwyn is pleading with the Hon. Andrew Fahie regime to get the rising crime in the British Virgin Islands under control, as it has the potential to kill the territory’s economy.

“It is trite knowledge that Caribbean economies and indeed the BVI economy depends heavily on the tourism industry. There is no need at this point to stress the importance of this to the local economy. We should all be au fait with this fact,” he said in a Facebook post earlier today, December 13.

He continued: “There are some things that are crucial to the maintenance of a stable tourism economy. We are having challenges with two of the most important elements - air access and crime.”

Speaking on the matter of gun-related crimes, he said, “A tourist comes to a country to recharge their energy and to seek peace and tranquillity in a safe and secure environment. Nothing kills an economy faster than criminal activity. Let us get this matter under control.”

He continued: “Let all of us who see something, say something and show our contempt for criminal conduct. Criminal elements in our society deteriorate the quality of life for all of us.”

Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Fahie has also echoed similar sentiments following the shooting death of Jamiez Stoutt inside Crystal’s Nightclub over the weekend.

Air Access Issues


Turning to air access, the former legislator said having direct flights from the US mainland to the territory is overdue.

Mr. Walwyn said while he is happy for Anguilla and Dominica, who recently celebrated their inaugural direct flights from the American Airlines from the US, he feels a “sense of grave disappointment that we have not been able to achieve direct flights from the US mainland to our shores.”

“We need to put greater focus on this and expand our airport runaway. We may argue on how far it should be extended but one thing is certain the status quo cannot continue. If we are to remain competitive visitors cannot be travelling for 10 to 12 hours to get to us. It’s unacceptable actually.”

Premier Fahie has said that he was having high-level talks with the same airline to include the territory on its itinerary.

Addressing the matter on July 28 during the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Let’s Talk radio show, he said “The reason I was late is [because] I was finishing discussions, and even long before Anguilla got American Airlines to go from Miami to there, we have been working with them,” he remarked.

He added, “But there are some factors that must be known because some persons just like to speak. Where our airport is some 800 feet shorter than Anguilla, and one of the areas that they have concerns with us is that the length that we do have, they can come in, but they are concerned that if they come in full, and it’s raining and it's wet that they cannot land and they don’t want to take that chance. So we have been working with them, and we have had more meetings to see what we can narrow down.”

The Premier mentioned that the BVI has been exploring the idea to lengthening the T.B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island and the Taddy Bay on Virgin Gorda, and that is still on the table.

Notably, the American Eagle pulled out of the BVI on March 31 2013, after more than 25 years of service, due to a decline in flights post-September 2011.

Importantly, Walwyn was part of the National Democratic Party (NDP) when they attempted to bring in direct flights from Miami. The Territory pumped over $7 Million into the venture that never took off.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×