Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Penn: USVI welcoming charters as BVI creates PR firestorm in industry

Penn: USVI welcoming charters as BVI creates PR firestorm in industry

As the neighbouring US Virgin Islands (USVI) continue to welcome charter yacht operators to its shores, the BVI government is being accused of making it challenging for charter yacht professionals to operate locally.
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn levelled those criticisms at a recent Opposition-held press briefing.

Penn said the USVI was able to raise its revenue to close to $100 million during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while BVI’s revenues, in contrast, have remained stagnant or have regressed.

“We are seeing where they are putting policies in place to welcome our marine and charter industry practitioners into the US Virgin Islands while we create a public relations firestorm for the businesses that operate within our space and have continued to contribute economically to the development of persons within that space.”

“They are welcoming our customers, making adjustments to their laws and their policies while we are being strong armed and strong arming our economic activity in our country,” he said.

The Opposition Leader’s comments follow closely on the heels of a clampdown by Her Majesty’s Customs (HM Customs) in recent weeks on charter yacht businesses which reportedly fell afoul of the BVI’s maritime regulations.

At the time of the recent enforcement activity, scores of vessels were grounded and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines were levied against the Moorings and other local charter yacht companies.

A PR maelstrom ensued which saw government officials laying the blame squarely at the feet of the charter yacht industry for its continued breaches of safety and other regulations which the government said were essential for compliance with maritime law.

Apart from these infractions however, the charter yacht industry have made complaints about HM Customs over the last few months. Those complaints surround the way in which yachts have been approached and searched during enforcement exercises conducted by some its officers.

Meanwhile Penn, has continued to lambast the government for its apparent lack of leadership and knee-jerk responses to repeated crisis situations.

According to the Opposition Leader, the government cut the social services budget in 2021 by as much as 33 per cent, in some instances. He said this happened during a time when the BVI was going through a social crisis.

“Leadership matters,” Penn argued. “We have to ensure that we have a government and a group of individuals with a vision for moving this country forward who understands the balance between the policies and regulations but they understand the importance of the economy and the welfare and the wellbeing of its people. We don’t see that right now.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
×