Gov. Charles Turnbull signed a bill Tuesday that waives marine fees for cruise ships docking at V.I. Port Authority facilities in St. Croix.
"The waiver of marine fees for cruise ships calling at the authority's facilities in St. Croix will hopefully lead to a continued increase in cruise ship activity in St. Croix and perhaps take us one step closer to establishing home-porting in the territory," Turnbull said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
"This is just one part of the positive actions my administration intends to take to stimulate business activities on St. Croix, and throughout the territory," he said. "The severe economic plight on the island of St. Croix requires that the government create special incentives such as the one proposed by this legislation."
In a transmittal letter to Senate President Vargrave Richards Turnbull said the bill represents a new level of cooperation between the government and one of its instrumentalities.
"The bill ratifies an innovative proposal between the central government and an independent instrumentality to rejuvenate our depressed economy, especially on St. Croix," Turnbull wrote.