Local entrepreneur Travis Harry has publicly voiced deep frustration over administrative delays and what he describes as “unprofessional behavior” from government institutions surrounding his new floating beach bar venture in Villa.
Speaking on Hot 97.1 SVG’s morning show, Harry who noted he has lived by the sea for 46 years and spent the past three months developing the floating concept revealed that navigating state bureaucracy has left him disgusted and disappointed by how public authorities conduct themselves.
At the heart of the controversy is a lack of specific statutory framework for non-stationary floating businesses. Harry emphasized that no laws currently exist on the books in St. Vincent and the Grenadines governing structures that do not rely on driven piles or fixed moorings.
“That’s not my fault. First and foremost, that’s the fault of lawmakers,” Harry stated, pointing out that a similar floating establishment has operated safely in Bequia for over a decade. He argued that lawmakers’ long-standing failure to update maritime commerce regulations should not be used as an excuse to impede new local developments.
Harry detailed a series of contradictory interactions with officials across regulatory agencies. He noted that after Keith Francis informed him that he did not require a seabed license, another official, Ms. Pinietta, offered no guidance or response when confronted with the conflicting directives.
Furthermore, Harry recounted a conversation overheard by a local catamaran owner named Caesar. According to Harry, an official from the Planning Department commented on the decade-old Bequia floating bar by stating, “them lucky them still on the water, we should ah take them off a long time”. Harry stated this attitude demonstrated that planning personnel are “not interested in development and structural integrity”.
According to Harry, the Planning Department dispatched Government Maritime officials to conduct an inspection before the project was even finished.
When Maritime officers (identified as Mr. Johnson and Mr. Haynes) visited the structure at Villa, they inspected the restroom and storeroom facilities but ultimately claimed they could not perform an assessment themselves and would need to refer the plans to a naval architect.
Harry stressed that SVG law requires a vessel or structure to be fully completed before formal maritime integrity assessments or liquor license inspections can legally take place. He maintained that authorities are creating unnecessary public noise before the proper legal stages have even been reached.
In contrast to local administrative friction, Harry shared that members of the St. Vincent Coast Guard alongside a visiting United States Coast Guard commander recently inspected the structure near the Young Island dock. According to Harry, the US Coast Guard commander praised the project, calling it “very innovative” and expressing a desire to visit for a drink once open.
Harry concluded by asserting that he will complete the project according to established protocols and present it for standard inspection when ready.
