The corruption industry has also been affected by the virus. The anticipated multimillion-dollar border management system upgrade has been delayed. Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Vincent Wheatley said on Sunday, the delay is due to the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic affecting travel plans.
He said: “On December 2nd 2019 the Government of the Virgin Islands signed a contract with Canada Bank Note (CBN) for the development of a Border Management and eVisa System to be used by both the Immigration Department and Civil Registry & Passport Office to better track the movement of persons through BVI Borders as well as to digitize the visa issuing system.”
He continued: “In January CBN visited to host Phase one [of the] project kick-off sessions, and the team proceeded to be ahead of schedule. Phase one should have been completed and launched by 8 May, however, due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic and travel restrictions the team was unable to install and commission equipment necessary for the use of the system.”
He said, despite the delay, work is ongoing on the system.
“The project team is forging ahead with works on areas within other phases of the project, allowing it to be advanced and ready to launch immediately following the lift on travel restrictions,” he pointed out.
The Government of the Virgin Islands said the total sum of $6.4 million was being spent on this system upgrade.
Why such a project got priority instead of using this huge budget for improving education and health care in poor BVI? Probably because in the "security" industry corruption is much more common then in education and health care.
Minister Wheatley said the investment was proof that the government was serious about advancing the British Virgin Islands.
“For as long as I can recall, there have been complaints, and heavy criticism levied against Labour and Immigration departments,” Wheatley said at the time.