Travel between the Virgin Islands and St. Maarten is expected to get cheaper after St. Maarten reduces the in-transit fee for passengers flying here from its Princess Juliana International Airport, …
Ex-health chair questions removal
Last year, the Commission of Inquiry blasted then-Premier Andrew Fahie for overstepping his authority and unlawfully revoking the membership of the Climate Change Trust Fund Board before the end of …
New culture strategy expected very soon
After nearly a month of public consultations, the government is considering a draft five-year plan designed to foster a “unique Virgin Islands national and cultural identity” through measures like implementing …
Before review, 18 laws passed in two days
Legislators passed 18 laws on Thursday and Friday with little to no public debate, just two days before international assessors arrived as part of a key anti-money-laundering review. Most of …
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OECD okays supplementary review
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Global Forum Peer Review Group has accepted the government’s request for a supplementary review that — if successful — could cause the European …
Auditor blasts grant programmes
At elected leaders’ discretion, the government awarded nearly $23 million in assistance grants between January 2019 and May 2022 without adequate accountability or transparency, including more than $200,000 to one …
16 bills rushed ahead of international review
Eleven days before international assessors are scheduled to arrive as part of a key anti-money-laundering evaluation, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley introduced amendments to 16 financial services laws last Thursday …
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Deposit insurance to launch in Q3
A long-promised system of deposit insurance is slated to launch during the third quarter of this year, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said while introducing the Virgin Islands Deposit Insurance …
Surveys completed in compensation review
As part of the nine-month-long public service compensation review, 15 stakeholder meetings were held and 585 public officers responded to a survey, according to consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services Limited. …
Premier withdraws Police Act
Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley moved to withdraw the controversial Police Act 2023 last Thursday in the House of Assembly, saying that he would re-introduce a scaled-down bill today that …
Arbitration Week to focus on ‘thought leadership’
The BVI International Arbitration Centre will kick off the annual BVI Arbitration Week on March 11 under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Shan Greer. The theme this year is …
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Duty breaks cost government $19 million last year
Government lost out on more than $19 million in revenue last year as a result of temporary import duty cuts designed to promote green energy and to respond to the …
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19 Commission of Inquiry reforms complete by Jan. 31
As of Jan. 31, work had begun on 49 of 50 of the reform measures government promised following the Commission of Inquiry, with 19 already complete and 30 under way, …
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EZ Shipping barges cost government $2 million
The government paid $2.04 million to EZ Shipping Limited to rent barges for five months of border security services in 2020 and 2021 — including $738,000 for about two months …
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PPP back on table for runway expansion
Public-private partnerships are among the options being considered for the airport expansion the government hopes to build soon, officials said after attending a recent meeting of the Airport Expansion Summit …
Officials push back against European Union blacklist
Government hopes the territory will be removed from the European Union’s blacklist of “non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes” by October, three senior officials said Friday. “The BVI is working very …
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Skelton speaks out after leaving BVI Tourist Board
After working for the BVI Tourist Board for 19 years, Rhodni Skelton left his post as deputy director early this month after being passed over for the agency’s top job. …
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Stakeholders discuss West End ferry terminal
More public consultations on the new West End ferry terminal will be scheduled soon following a two-day stakeholder meeting the Recovery and Development Agency hosted last week as part of …
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21 take part in Branson business training
Twenty-one Virgin Islands entrepreneurs received certificates from the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship’s accelerator programme in late January. The participants underwent four months of “intense” training, which concluded with a ceremony …
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Premier says order in council won’t lift soon
Despite recent progress, the Commission of Inquiry reforms need to continue and go further before the United Kingdom will lift the order in council that allows the governor to partially …
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European Union blacklists Virgin Islands, but government pushes back
The European Union placed the Virgin Islands on its blacklist of uncooperative tax jurisdictions on Tuesday, but the VI government quickly responded by suggesting that the territory doesn’t belong on …
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13 Covid cases reported this year
As of Friday, three patients had been admitted to the hospital to be treated for Covid-19 out of the 13 people who have tested positive this year, according to Health …
House of Assembly delays Police Act for further review
Citing past incidents where he was a “victim of police abuse,” Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley announced Friday that the House of Assembly would delay its planned debate on the …
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East End sewage system promised by year-end
The sewage system that government has been promising East End and Long Look for decades is expected to be completed this year, Deputy Premier Kye Rymer said Friday in the …
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“Farmers of the Forest” in Anegada
The “farmers of the forest” in Anegada — otherwise known as Anegada rock iguanas — are crucial to the survival of native and endangered plant species, according to Kelly Bradley, …