Members of the BVI Ports Authority Board have not been paid since March, Premier Andrew Fahie revealed last month in the House of Assembly in response to questions from opposition …
Fraser grills ministers on D-3 repairs
The Third District was discussed at length in the House of Assembly on Oct. 17 thanks to persistent questioning from opposition member Julian Fraser, who brought up issues of water …
Premier: Funding restored to pay retirees to cut bush
The government will soon resume hiring retirees to cut bush along roadsides, Premier Andrew Fahie said during the Oct. 17 House of Assembly meeting. He was speaking in response to …
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Purcell centre repairs slated for early 2020
Repairs to the Cathryn and Gertrude Warner Community Centre in Purcell Estate are slated for completion within the first quarter of next year, according to Health and Social Development Minister …
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Minister: Belle Vue gym will not be rebuilt anytime soon
It is currently “not possible” to rebuild the Belle Vue gym because of the high number of facilities damaged during the 2017 hurricanes, but government hopes to tackle the project …
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19 from VI attended Carifesta in Trinidad & Tobago
A last-minute delegation of 19 Virgin Islands representatives attended Caribbean Community’s Festival of the Arts, known as Carifesta, from Aug. 16-25 in Trinidad and Tobago, according to Education, Culture, Youth …
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QEII Bridge structure to showcase VI culture
A structure being built near the Tortola entrance to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge to Beef Island will showcase the territory’s culture while serving as a “talking point” for tour …
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Administration building to be named after O’Neal
The House of Assembly voted on Oct. 18 to rename the Central Administration Building after Ralph O’Neal, the first premier of the Virgin Islands and the longest serving elected politician …
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Government revenue arrears unknown, premier admits
Government is updating its accounting system with new software that will help collect revenue, Premier Andrew Fahie said in the House of Assembly on Oct. 17 before admitting that he …
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Government transfers Crown land to HLSCC
Government granted H. Lavity Stoutt Community College 134 acres of Crown land on Sept. 26, according to Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley. Last …
Turnbull grills ministers on Jost Van Dyke works
Jost Van Dyke was discussed repeatedly in the House of Assembly last Thursday, as opposition member Mitch Turnbull grilled government ministers about the state of repairs on the island where …
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Still no date for Virgin Gorda medical centre
After at least a decade of promises, the first phase of construction on the Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre on Virgin Gorda is now set to be completed by the …
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$710k festivals budget ballooned to $1.9 million in spending
The Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee started out the year with a budget of $710,000, which later was upped to $1.3 million before expenditures ultimately topped $1.9 million, according …
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Financial stability of NHI at risk, review finds
Virgin Islands residents could soon have to up their National Health Insurance contributions by more than 25 percent if their payments are to fund the programme’s deficit, which is projected …
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Prospect Reef salaries to be paid in coming weeks
Despite promises that Prospect Reef employees would be paid by the end of August, they have still not received payment, as revealed in the House of Assembly last Thursday when …
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Incinerator part to be shipped next week
Repairs to the Pockwood Pond incinerator are “in progress,” and a needed part is set to ship next week, Health and Social Development Minister Carvin Malone said last Thursday in …
Opposition grills Malone on housing
Opposition members grilled Health and Social Development Minister Carvin Malone on the state of the housing recovery last Thursday in the House of Assembly, claiming that many residents are being …
Premier gives update on increments
Government is making progress on delayed increment payments to public officers, with the goal of paying all of the 2016 increments by the end of November and paying 2017 increments …
HOA passes law feared by free-speech advocates
Legislators on Friday passed an amended version of a bill that international media watchdogs have warned could stifle free speech in the Virgin Islands and hinder the media from doing …
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Constant PTSD in climate change age
NEW YORK CITY — With climate change expected to bring more frequent natural disasters to the Caribbean, mental health experts are changing the way they talk about post-traumatic stress disorder. …
VI, others take climate case to UN
NEW YORK CITY — At the United Nations on Friday, Benito Wheatley told world leaders about the Virgin Islands’ struggles to get help from abroad after it was devastated by …
UNDP pledges to up support to SIDS
NEW YORK CITY — In a formal briefing at the United Nations Climate Action Summit last Monday in New York City, UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner addressed concerns expressed …
Island leaders announce climate goals at UN summit
NEW YORK CITY — As carbon emissions climb, global temperatures spike, oceans rise and storms grow more intense, the effects of climate change get closer to a course that scientists …
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Postal service still struggling to recover from Irma
In the 2017 hurricanes the BVI Post suffered damage to all of its locations, including letterboxes, and the recovery has been an ongoing struggle, Postmaster General Pascha Stoutt told legislators …
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Statistics office still collects data manually
The Central Statistics Office lacks a “proper” data collection system and needs an updated Statistics Act to function optimally, CSO Director Raymond Phillips told the Standing Finance Committee during its …
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