Boa Vista Experience

MaioCV

The Boa Vista and Maio Integrated Tourist Development Corporation (SDTIBM) will promote a meeting with some 50 Cape Verdean and foreign investors on October 15 in order to present tourist investment opportunities on the two islands. The meeting will take place on Boa Vista.

SDTIBM executive administrator José Carvalho explains that “environmental protection and preservation areas represent 46% of the total area” of tourist development zones on the two islands, and that “the remaining 54% is aimed at tourist enterprises.” Carvalho specifies that only 9% of this 54% is set aside for construction.

Of the lands projected for construction, 12.5% is located in Chave, 8% in Morro de Areia, Santa Mónica and to the south of Porto Inglês, 8.22% in Ribeira Dom João and 15% in Ponta de Pau Seco.

Source: ASemana
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Mark.

Online Magazine Maio, Cape Verde

jak · Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 912

The first public presentation of investment opportunities on the islands of Boa Vista and Maio, which took place this week on Boa Vista, is not believed to have provided clarifications regarding how to invest in the two islands. The opinion is shared by most of the participants in the event, who admitted they were confused regarding forms of investment, expenditures, incentives, gains and risks they may be subject to. Most of the investors present affirmed that they left the forum without a clear understanding of the investment opportunities presented by Boa Vista and Maio. “We still don’t know what is expected of the investor and what the expenditures, incentives, gains and risks we’re going to have are,” said one of the potential investors during the debate.

The time limits for public and private investment, forms of payment, and the interventions to be carried out alongside the Boa Vista and Maio Integrated Tourist Development Corporation are incognitos for the potential investors. “On the social level, we don’t understand what responsibilities lie with the State and what responsibilities lie with private interests,” said another investor, referring to a project that proposes the investment of revenues ever into a fund for the construction of low-income housing. “We have no guarantees whatsoever to invest with this money in the fund prior to having carried out our investment,” he concluded.

This Thursday’s meeting in Boa Vista brought more than 50 Cape Verdean and international investors, as well as entrepreneurs in civil construction and other sectors. The Boa Vista and Maio Integrated Tourist Development Corporation presented the land use plans for all of the Integrated Tourist Development Zones on the two islands, as well as public and private investments expected to be carried out, environmental reservation zones and social projects to be developed in order to improve the living conditions of the local population.

The two municipal governments spoke of the projects being developed on the respective islands, while investment and tourist promotion agency Cabo Verde Investimentos presented its investment initiatives, and Airport and Air Security company ASA, port management company ENAPOR and water and electricity utility Electra outlined the perspectives for airport, port and electricity infrastructure projects.

Investors, for their part, asked questions regarding the type of tourism that is intended for the two islands, the types of construction to be built, the level of the services to be provided, professional training, incentives for local handicrafts, and the promotion of culture, sports and local traditions, among other things.

A Semana

andre · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:08 am Post subject:

All fine and well having this meeting/presentation, just essential that the powers that be take on board what delegates say, rather than just pushing forward their own agenda, be it for political of financial reasons.

We can see that rapid expansion as has taken place on Boa Vista is not ideal, people get displaced from their normal place of residence, the Barracas are now seen as a deterent to future investment. Slow organic growth off a stable base is ideal. The worldwide recession has had a major impact on development on Boa Vista, wiping out rapid growth as quickly as it had happened. If this development had taken place off a stable base things would not have been as severe as now.

For myself, I am very optimistic, recovery has been rapid, confidence is returning, with time the same confidence will return to Boa Vista. Properly structured growth is required rather than haphazard development.

Andre

jak · Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 912

It comes as no suprise that potential investors are being put off by the the sight of the "Barracas". Questions seem to have been raised by potential investors as to who is responsible for providing the necessties such as social housing, presumably the Boa Vistan authorities want contributions from investors for these causes.

On the one hand the authorities are very eager to promote tourism to Boa Vista and then to charge each tourist landing on the island a tax of 25 euros at the airport to enter Cape Verde. At current rates of landings at Boa Vista airport I reckon this "tax" adds up to about 2 million euros a year. What is this money used for?

On the other hand the local authorities seem content to continue to allow large numbers of migrant workers to enter the island without regulation and free of charge, please read my posting in January 2009 where I witnessed this happening:

http://boavistaexperience.phpbbweb.com/viewtopic.php?t=436

I do hope that the comments from the recent meeting are given due consideration by the local authorities on Boa Vista. It is not just tourists who feel threatened by the "Barracas" but also the local people. This became very apparent to me during my recent visit in September.

When I was leaving Boa Vista after my last visit, I was made to wait for 15-20 minutes at the passport control desk whilst someone checked my documents. It would be good if the authorities paid the same sort of attention to the validity of the documentation for the people living in the "Barracas". Failure by the local autorities to deal with this issue could cost the island of Boa Vista very dearly.

Regards,

John Dowling

correia247 · Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 144 Location: London

Hi john,

The 2 million euros you mention for this visa/tax we all pay to enter CV, goes straight to the Capital Island.
They have all the nice roads and spend most of the money from the other islands. I watch a Portuguese Tv Africa, that shows various programs about Cape verde and the main subject is Santiago, very rarely showing anything of the other islands. The local town hall has more money now, but still not all the money stays there, then you have so many people that need their hands "oiled", by the time it's all done there's nothing left.

I'm glad to say that, we are returning to Boavista on the 5th Nov. Exatly a year after my first visit. I wanted to go somewhere else, but chose to return again to spend another B'day in this paradise island. We have group of 8/10 family and friends flying from the Algarve, so we should enjoy ourselves.

I will try to take some more photos of the Island,

Regards,

Manuel

andre · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:10 pm Post subject:

Hi Manuel,

I am looking forward to further photos. Have a good birthday!

Regards

Andre