ACTING GOVERNOR VARGRAVE A. RICHARDS REQUEST TO VIRGIN ISLANDS PORT
AUTHORITY TO ROLL BACK LANDING FEE INCREASE AND FERRY PASSENGER FEE
INCREASE ACTED UPON
Acting upon a written request by Acting Governor Vargrave Richards,
the Virgin Islands Port Authority today, in its Board meeting voted
to roll back the landing fee increase previously imposed on the airline
industry, and to also limit the increase on passenger ferry fees.
In his August 19, 2003 letter to VIPA Chairperson Pamela Richards,
Acting Governor Richards sought to memorialize a prior conversation
in the presence of Governor Turnbull and other VIPA Board members urging
Board members to move swiftly on retracting the landing fees for airlines
and ferry passenger fees.
"My request to Chairperson Pamela Richards was that she add to
the VIPA Board meeting agenda the previously discussed roll back and
that the VIPA Board pay serious attention to the plight of St. Croix,"
Richards stated.
Acting Governor Richards added that: "I am extremely pleased to
see that the VIPA Board also understood and shared my concern regarding
the critical necessity of retracting the airline landing and ferry passenger
fees. To have voted otherwise would leave St. Croix at a much greater
risk. The potential further negative effect on the economy could only
serve to undermine recovery efforts, and the entire Territory would
suffer as a result," Acting Governor Richards emphasized.
Acting Governor Richards states that: "The roll back can only
improve our relations with the airline industry and also demonstrates
our willingness to keep the channels of communication open. We must
pave the way for redeveloping good relationships with the airline and
ferry industries to achieve mutually beneficial ends. St. Croix and
the Territory stands to profit greatly by VIPA's action. I am pleased
to say that we have taken a step forward in the right direction."
