More than 60 applications were submitted for the now filled Managing Director position at the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA), but none of the applicants were Virgin Islanders.
This was revealed by the Premier and Minister of Finance Andrew Fahie, who made the disclosure in response to a question posed by the media at a press conference today Friday January 28.
The response comes after concerns emerged following the announcement that the top position at the BVI Airports Authority was filled by a non-local.
In responding to the question, Premier Fahie said he did his research on the matter as the BVIAA is a statutory body and he wanted to ensure he had all the facts.
He said the information revealed that 60 persons from all over the world, including as far as Afghanistan, applied for the position, but none were Virgin Islanders.
The leader of government business also revealed that the Airports Council International (ACI) played a pivotal role in selecting the successful candidate for the position, as the chosen individual had to be certified by the international body to qualify for the role.
Impossible to hire a local if none applied
The Premier also said that it is virtually impossible to fight for a local to fill a position if they did not even apply in the first place.
He said that there is a capacity building responsibility attached to the present Managing Director’s 4-year contract, where he will be involved in training persons to follow in his footsteps when his time at the BVIAA comes to an end.
The premier said hopes that a Virgin Islander applies for the Managing Director role, when that time comes.
The BVIAA announced on Tuesday January 25, that St. Lucian native Kurt Menal was the new Managing Director of the Airports Authority.
Menal is said to have more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry with his most recent role being the former Deputy General Manager at the Airport Authority in Trinidad and Tobago.
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