From start to finish, 2016 was a tumultuous year that saw myriad successes and challenges, but perhaps its most notable lesson was that the Virgin Islands remains at the mercy of forces beyond its control.
As if the territory needed another reminder.
In the VI, the news was largely dominated by international events likely to bring profound effects to these shores. They included the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote and the United States’ election of Donald Trump — both of which appear to herald a major shift in global politics — as well as the Panama Papers leak and various rules imposed on the financial services sector from abroad.
The VI is getting better at reacting to such events, as when it fairly quickly took responsibility for investigating the alleged impropriety reportedly exposed by the Panama Papers, but there is often precious little it can do except to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
In spite of such challenges, the territory saw some extremely important victories in 2016.
To our thinking, the most notable was the launch of National Health Insurance, which is an invaluable new social programme that brought universal health care to the territory for the first time. In spite of some hitches, the programme, which had been promised for decades, appears to be functioning more or less as planned, which is great news.
The completion of the Tortola Pier Park was another important step, and the facility has proven to be a valuable addition to Road Town even though the controversy surrounding its construction still has not been properly put to rest.
Other successes of 2016 included the launch of the International Arbitration Centre, the opening of the new prison museum on Main Street, and the COP 21 climate change agreement, to name a few.
In other areas, however, frustrations were the order of the day. Water and sewerage topped the list, as the long-promised sewerage work in East End stalled when government quietly transferred project funds to the cruise pier project.
The controversial airport expansion also has seen little progress, and transparency continues to be lacking even though the government rightly provided the public with a partial business case and another related study.
Other challenges of 2016 included the temporary closure of three resorts on Virgin Gorda, as well as delays with projects such as the Prospect Reef Resort and the greenhouses.
In other words, there is much to do in 2017. So that the territory will be ready to hit the ground running in the New Year, the entire community should recommit to setting aside personal interest and working together for the common good. And what better time to revisit such lofty goals than the Christmas season?
We wish everyone a joyous holiday and a happy New Year.
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