Cabinet Briefs (Oct. 6, 2021)

Governor John Rankin chaired a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 6 at the Financial Services Commission’s Conference Room. All members were present except Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley, who was overseas on official business. Cabinet took the following actions, according to a summary published in the Gazette on Oct. 14.

1. Reviewed and accepted the 2020 Office of the Complaints Commission’s annual report and decided that it be laid on the table at the next convenient sitting of the House of Assembly.

2. Reviewed and accepted the evaluation report submitted by the Central Tenders Board technical committee, which was approved by the CTB on Aug. 24, and accepted the CTB’s recommendation to award Accurate Construction the contract for the Huntums Ghut Economic Zone Commercial Buildings in the amount of $549,741.38.

3. Reviewed and accepted the evaluation report submitted by the Central Tenders Board technical committee, which was approved by the CTB on Sept. 14, and accepted the CTB’s recommendation to award Electronic Solutions and Services Ltd. a contract for Dark Fibre Activation for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force in the amount of $112,603.85.

4. Reviewed and accepted the evaluation report submitted by the Central Tenders Board technical committee, which was approved by the CTB on Aug. 24, and accepted the CTB’s recommendation to award Kendol Arthur and Colene Penn dba K & C Construction a contract for the Construction of the public restroom facility at Brewers Bay Beach in the amount of $124,258.70.

5. Retroactively approved the waiver of the tender process to retain the services of a consultant to provide statistician services for the RVIPF for the period May 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021; decided that Adrian DaCosta be retained from May 1, 2020 until a suitable candidate is appointed to the post following the conclusion of the recruitment process by Nov. 30, 2021; and agreed that the government enter into an agreement with Mr. DaCosta for the sum of $60,000 for the 20- month period.

6. Considered the bill titled Water and Sewerage Authority Act, 2021, which seeks to transform the Water and Sewerage Department into a statutory authority under the Ministry of Transportation, Works and Utilities, and decided that the bill be introduced for its first reading in the HOA at the next convenient sitting.

7. Approved recommended amendments to the Non-Profit Organisations Act, 2012 and the Non-Profit Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2020 Bill (consolidated), and decided that the Ministry of Health and Social Development instruct the Attorney General’s Chambers to prepare the amendments to be reflected in a bill.

8. Approved permission for development on an existing lease of Crown land and also an amendment to an existing bank charge on the lease of Crown land for commercial use, respectively.