Bryan administration commissioned 20-year economic plan for U.S. Virgin Islands

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced on October 20, 2020, that the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority had commissioned a federally funded 20-year economic development plan for the territory, called Vision 2040.

The administration said the plan would seek input from residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Virgin Islanders living on the U.S. mainland and elsewhere. According to the announcement, the plan was to focus on five areas: services, technology, energy, agriculture and manufacturing.

The information-gathering process was to include surveys, stakeholder interviews on each island, virtual open houses, town hall meetings, focus groups, task force meetings and technical strategies. The first virtual public presentation was scheduled for October 22, 2020, and a virtual open house was scheduled for November 5, 2020.

After what the administration described as a competitive bidding process, the Economic Development Authority selected Camoin 310, an economic development consulting firm based in Saratoga, New York, and Richmond, Virginia, to manage the project.

The administration said the plan was funded by the U.S. Economic Development Agency through federal recovery grants following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. An interim report was scheduled for early January 2021, and the final plan was due at the end of February 2021.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-usvi-economic-development-authority-to-produce-20-year-vision-for-territorial-economy/