Mapp Promises Two ‘Beautiful’ Announcements And Plan To Address GERS Insolvency

Governor Kenneth Mapp is teasing what he said are two “very beautiful” announcements that he promised would be revealed soon. The tease came on Monday while the governor was at the Elections System of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix to file his nomination documents.

Mr. Mapp also told The Consortium that he would soon unveil a plan to address the insolvency situation of the Government Employees’ Retirement System (G.E.R.S.).

But what exactly are these two “beautiful announcements”? The Consortium has been digging, and can confirm that at least one relates to a major development at the Limetree Bay Terminals, with a possible restart of refining on the east side of the former refinery. This publication pressed the governor during a recent Government House press conference about the rumored upcoming announcement, but he refused to divulging details, stating that he would not risk jeopardizing an agreement before it was finalized.

At least three government officials have told The Consortium that the announcement would soon come, and that hundreds — if not over a thousand — jobs, would accompany it. Even so, The Consortium has not been able to secure concrete details about the developments at Limetree Bay.

As for the other “beautiful” announcement, the governor did not even give a hint. And relative to G.E.R.S., the pension system has been on life support for years and Mr. Mapp has failed to produce a plan to salvage it. Some may see his upcoming attempt to address the problem as a political tactic coming during a gubernatorial election year. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to hear what the Mapp administration proposes to save the pension system.