Business

WAPA Board Mandates Hiring Of Virgin Islands' Residents For Upcoming Projects

ST. CROIX -- At its regular monthly meeting here on Friday, the Governing Board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority approved amendments to existing contract guidelines and language, to mandate the hiring of Virgin Islands residents and workers for the Authority’s projects. WAPA and its subcontractors have been under fire for hiring a majority of workers from outside the territory to perform work on major projects, most of which can be done by the local workforce. The Consortium ran multiple stories on the matter earlier this year. “The hiring of Virgin Islands residents is a priority item as the territory continues to feel the effects of the economic recession. These changes are required to place greater emphasis on the enforcement of local laws which require hiring local residents for our development projects,” said WAPA Executive Director Hugo V. Hodge, Jr. He added that these changes will ensure that WAPA fulfills the requirements of the law as it relates to the hiring o...