Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

'TPP investment was one of the best VI made' - Hon Vanterpool

Even though the project has a cost totalling some $85 million-plus, including cost overruns of at least $40 million for the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park Project (TPP), former Communications and Works Minister, Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) insists that the TPP investment was one of the best the territory ever made.

According to Mr Vanterpool at a press conference called by the Opposition on November 13, 2019, he remains “very pleased and very satisfied to have taken that sector of tourism to the level that we took it, where we put a very solid and firm stake in the cruise ship industry in the territory that will last for a very long time."

In 2013/14, the NDP Government announced the cost of the project was around $45M to $50M; however, it became over $85M, a whopping $40M overrun.


Corruption - Audit Report

Then in a long-awaited audit report, commissioned by the then outgoing Premier, Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, and tabled to the House of Assembly on January 15, 2019, a number of files had ‘mysteriously’ gone missing; the Charterland Chartered Surveyors Property Consultants report noted.

According to the Report, “…we have been unable to review details or either the original budget or the assessed final costs and thus we have no specific details, as result, cannot opine, justify or comment on the increases apart from the opinion stated based on experience.”

The report also stated that “some building did not follow proper process, others did,” and that in the end there was not enough information available, so a conclusion of corruption and lack of value for money could be made.

The report cited as example that development costs increased by some $4,915,905, adding, however, “…we lack details as we were unable to identify the reason for the increase.”

In December of 2015, a former developer of the cruise pier development project, Mr Hugh Edison Darley, President of IDEA Inc., had accused the National Democratic Party (NDP) of perverting the process of the project’s development and causing it to balloon far beyond what it would have cost originally to build.

He is also accusing the then government of not honouring their licencing obligations for the use of his designs some of which they changed in an effort to “cheapen” the project.

Mr Darley had also alleged that when he was part of the project it was planned that it would have been built for 45 million dollars.


One of the best investments - Hon Vanterpool

Hon Vanterpool at the press conference said, “I believe we are going to look back 10 years from now and say that investment in the cruise pier was one of the best investments this territory has ever made and I am very comfortable with that," he said.

According to the Opposition Member, "it is a legacy that I want the former Premier to be proud of, and I as a minister and the rest of the government, the NDP, [are] very proud of it."

According to the Audit report; however, statements claiming value for money by Mr Vanterpool is not necessarily accurate.

“I can honestly and confidently account to you, that not one penny of your funds has been taken by myself," Mr Vanterpool said on the National Democratic Party’s (NDP), ‘Drive Time’ radio programme of September 3, 2018, while struggling to explain the cost.

At the November 13, 2019 Press conference, Mr Vanterpool claimed that even when booted out of government, he called Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) a week later and introduced him to Carnival Cruise lines. This he says was part of his commitment to the continued success of the industry.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×