The government will soon launch a public relations campaign to burnish the territory’s global image and push back against recent attacks on the financial services sector, according to Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley.
“We are hiring a PR firm to inform the public of all the good things we are doing,” Mr. Wheatley wrote the Beacon this week while conducting a trade mission to east Asia.
The premier launched his offensive after a group of British parliamentarians questioned the VI’s commitment to transparency and fighting money crime.
Earlier this month, The Guardian newspaper reported that parliamentarians including Tory former deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell had written to the premier criticising the VI’s plans for a company-ownership register set to launch by June.
Mr. Wheatley has said that access to the register will be restricted to people with a “legitimate interest,” but the MPs argued that it should be open to the public.
Mr. Wheatley told the House of Assembly last Thursday that he had not received the letter reported by The Guardian, but he said his government is nevertheless taking action.
“In light of these developments, it is clear that the Virgin Islands must take control of its own narrative,” he said, adding, “To this end the government is finalising a consultancy engagement to appoint a public relations firm to support efforts in managing the Virgin Islands’ constitutional, administrative and political relationship with the United Kingdom; safeguarding the Virgin Islands’ reputation as a leading international business and financial centre; [and] developing a strategic communications approach with financial services at its core.”
The effort, he said, will ensure that accurate information about the territory is shared on the world stage.
HOA criticisms
The premier’s comments in the HOA came after opposition member Myron Walwyn (R-D6) asked why he had not been more vocal in pushing back against the UK criticism.
“Why did he not call for a formal meeting of the House of Assembly to discuss this matter based on the huge implications that it has for the financial health of the territory?” Mr. Walwyn asked. “And what actions has been taken, not just talk, to mitigate the dangers ahead for the territory in this persistent attack on our financial services sector by United Kingdom officials?”
In his response, Mr. Wheatley claimed that he had not received the letter reported in The Guardian.
“I have checked every email, and I still not have seen this letter what was being spoken about,” he said. “The letter was published on Twitter.”
The premier acknowledged that the issue had become news in the UK.
“Members will be aware of recent articles published in the UK-based media houses: criticisms of the Virgin Islands and its financial services sector, particularly alleging that the jurisdiction facilitates illicit finance,” he said. “I have responded strongly and unequivocally to these accusations.”
Mr. Wheatley — who issued a forceful response a day after the Guardian article — repeated last week that the VI has upheld its international obligations.
“Despite these misleading claims, UK law enforcement agencies have repeatedly confirmed the Virgin Islands’ strong track escort of cooperation,” he said. “This contradicts the false narratives being promoted in the media and [by] some UK parliamentarians.”
East Asia trip
Mr. Wheatley continued his defence of the territory on his trip to east Asia this week.
During a financial services round-table Monday in Hong Kong, he stressed his government’s commitment to complying with international standards while also supporting the financial industry.
“Even in complying, our industry is also subject to external attacks of varying types, and we must and will do everything possible to protect from those threats, particularly those that undermine the human and legal rights of our clientele and violate the constitutionality of BVI laws,” he added. “We will move swiftly to dispel any targeted misrepresentation of the legitimacy of our industry politically or via the media.”
The premier told the Beacon on Monday night that the trade push through east Asia is proving beneficial.
“The trip is going well,” he wrote in a message.
The premier, who is also finance minister and minister of financial services, has said connections with east Asia are vital for the territory as almost 60 percent of its investment comes from China and neighbouring states.
His meetings are scheduled through Friday in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macau and Malaysia.
