Government has signed an agreement with Airbnb allowing the online booking agent to submit hotel accommodation tax directly to the government, according to a press release issued last Thursday. On …
BVIF slams report linking VI to scandals
A recent report from Berlin-based non-governmental organisation Transparency International explores how businesses and institutions in the United Kingdom help corrupt individuals and regimes launder money, and it draws a “clear …
France may blacklist Virgin Islands, others
France plans to add the Virgin Islands to a blacklist along with the Seychelles, Anguilla and the Bahamas because they are “not cooperative enough in terms of financial transparency,” French …
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Scotiabank sold to Trinidad-based bank
Scotiabank announced earlier this month that it has reached an agreement for the sale of 100 percent of the shares of its Virgin Islands branch to Trinidad-based Republic Financial Holdings …
VI marks 35 years of incorporations
Last week, as the Virgin Islands celebrated the 35th anniversary of the International Business Company Act, 1984, three H. Lavity Stoutt Community College debaters outlined why the act was so …
Business and government share dialogue in “solution forum”
A group of around 40 of what BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association Chairwoman Shaina Smith called the “unsung heroes” of the Virgin Islands economic recovery gathered on Tuesday …
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VI to host 3rd Arbitration Conference
The BVI International Arbitration Centre will host its third International Arbitration Conference next week as part of the Virgin Islands’ years-long effort to become a hub for out-of-court dispute resolution. …
VI to launch investment promotion agency
The Virgin Islands will soon launch an investment promotions agency called BVI Invest, which will work to attract foreign investment to the territory, leaders announced. BVI Invest will be part …
Logo designers go back to the drawing board
The six young competitors who vied to design a logo for the government’s new Innovative Business Lab set to launch next year are getting a lesson in working for demanding …
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US moves toward registers of beneficial ownership
Echoing a push in the United Kingdom and its territories toward greater corporate transparency, the United States House of Representatives last week passed a bipartisan bill requiring companies to disclose …
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Big ideas emerge during Innovation Week
“There are a lot of big deals in this room,” said emcee Kareem-Nelson Hull as he surveyed a conference room full of dozens of young Virgin Islands entrepreneurs at the …
Premier sees “minimal” impact from Hong Kong protests
The Virgin Islands financial services industry has seen “minimal” impact from the recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, Premier Andrew Fahie said while answering a question from Opposition Leader Marlon …
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‘Substance’ rules lead to BOSSS changes
An amendment to the Beneficial Ownership Secure Search System Act, which was rushed through the House of Assembly on Friday, is designed to pave the way for the new rules …
Evening ferry service proposed
During the coming tourist season, people arriving in St. Thomas after sunset Friday through Sunday may be able to take a ferry to Tortola if the BVI Tourist Board succeeds …
Pioneering disc surgery performed in VI
Last week, a patient who previously couldn’t feel one of his arms left Bougainvillea Clinic with a new lease on life after doctors there performed a vertebral disc replacement surgery …
BVI Ports Authority planning forensic audit
The BVI Ports Authority has issued a request for proposals for firms to conduct a forensic audit of the agency’s accounts, which could be the first actual audit conducted for …
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New incorporations hit 16-year low
The Virgin Islands financial services industry continued a downward slide in the second quarter of 2019, incorporating 6,365 new companies to turn in its worst quarter since 2003, when the …
OECD: Global economy increasingly fragile
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is the latest financial body to issue a warning that the global economy is weakening. In its latest Interim Economic Outlook, released last …
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IMF: VI home to ‘phantom investments’
The Virgin Islands is one of the 10 economies in the world that together host more than 85 percent of an estimated $15 trillion in “phantom investments” annually, according to …
FSC: Insurance payouts from 2017 disasters top $828m
A total of 12,945 insurance claims totalling more than $918 million have been filed relating to the August floods and September hurricanes of 2017, according to a report from the …
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Revamped Rosewood Little Dix Bay prepares to reopen
This winter, Virgin Islands residents seeking a new career path may want to consider one they may have thought only existed in English manor houses or on television: butler. “We …
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EU anti-money laundering blacklist to be revisited
Next month, the European Union will revamp its methodology for compiling its anti-money laundering blacklist, after a previous list was blocked by EU governments that objected to the listing of …
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No food shortages due to Hurricane Dorian
Despite the Tuesday closure of a major Florida port and Tropical Shipping’s temporary suspension of sailings due to Hurricane Dorian, the average Virgin Islands consumer needn’t worry, according to Chris …
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Hong Kong instability might boost VI
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday refused to budge on the demands of the pro-democracy protesters marching through the streets of the Chinese territory, even as the demonstrations became …
BVIEC, BVI Cable in pole dispute
The BVI Electricity Corporation has been granted an injunction against BVI Cable TV after claiming that the cable company was “creating safety risks” to the public and BVIEC employees by …