Summer programme
Four aspiring lawyers are participating in a two-year training programme at the law firm Ogier designed to prepare Virgin Islanders for legal careers. Two students, Kyron Vanterpool and Rogelle Edmondson, recently completed a placement with the firm’s business and trust law and litigation departments. Two other students, Abeana Baptiste and JeVaughn Rhymer are expected to complete the programme in August, according to the company.
Cooper Island
The Cooper Island Beach Club is renovating its rooms to incorporate “eco-friendly” designs and recycled products, the company announced last week. Four rooms of the resort’s guest cottages were renovated in February to use natural materials and furniture made from recycled teak. Six other rooms are scheduled to be renovated ahead of the October tourism season, the company said in a press release.
Panama
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development placed Panama on its “white list” in recognition of the country’s efforts to improve the exchange of tax information. The Panamanian government announced in a press release that it had signed a double taxation agreement with France on July 6, the country’s 12th and a move that qualified it for the “white list.” In order to crack down on so-called “tax havens” in the wake of the global financial crisis, the OECD announced guidelines in 2009 categorising countries and territories by colours — white, grey or black — based in large part on how many tax information exchange agreements they have signed. A country has to sign at least 12 in order to make the “white list.”