"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
The United Kingdom Home Office will soon vet all Virgin Islands police officers, in part because the territory’s Police Service Commission is not yet up to the task, Governor Daniel …
Continue reading “United Kingdom to vet Virgin Islands cops for now”
United Kingdom Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty visited the Virgin Islands this week to assess the recent Commission of Inquiry reforms and meet with leaders eager to convince him that …
Continue reading “OT minister visits, avoiding press and public meetings”
After the House of Assembly passed the last of five bills to reform statutory bodies last Thursday, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley boasted this week that his government has completed …
The House of Assembly began tackling its final Commission of Inquiry reform this week as legislators debated the first of five bills designed to improve the governance of five statutory …
We are disappointed that the government and the governor missed their Aug. 31 deadline to complete the Commission of Inquiry reforms, but the delay does not detract from the extensive …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: COI reforms must be finished, then followed”
Struggling residents will have new ways to get help under a law that received assent from Governor Daniel Pruce on Aug. 22, government announced. An amendment to the Public Assistance …
For decades, successive Virgin Islands governments have shamelessly wasted the public’s money by awarding pork-barrel contracts to cronies and other unqualified bidders. Last month, a divided House of Assembly barely …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Opposition should stop resisting COI reforms”
Kudos to the House of Assembly for passing legislation this month to help reform social assistance in the territory. But leaders must not stop now. The Public Assistance (Amendment) Bill, …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Recent assistance reforms a good starting point”
House of Assembly members voted this week to make changes to their Register of Interests, but the extent of those changes is not clear because a bill they passed Tuesday …
Continue reading “HOA votes to change Register of Interests”
When lawmakers voted in July 2022 to make the Register of Interests public as advised by the Commission of Inquiry, they also added several viewing restrictions that drew strong criticism …
Continue reading “Bill keeps restrictions on interests register”
The Public Works Department spent $180,743 on roadwork alongside the Queen Elizabeth II Park before workers discovered shallow utility lines and a high water table that have stalled the project, …
The government’s new Immigration Policy keeps in place a 20-year residency requirement for belongership applicants that the Commission of Inquiry previously deemed “unlawful” under the Immigration and Passport Act. However, …
A major international report released Monday raises serious concerns about the territory’s ability to deal with money laundering and other financial crime, leading one expert to warn that “red lights” …
Continue reading “Money laundering report brings threat of ‘grey list’”
LONDON — Britain has “fallen short” in the way it deals with the Virgin Islands and other overseas territories, former United Kingdom OT Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith has warned. In …
Continue reading “Ex-minister says United Kingdom fell ‘short’ on overseas territories”
Governor John Rankin drew the ire of elected leaders last week when he announced plans to seek additional powers to push through delayed Commission of Inquiry reforms. Premier Dr. Natalio …
Continue reading “Premier fumes as governor seeks new powers”
Works to implement the Commission of Inquiry reforms are still progressing steadily, according to Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley. As of September, 24 of 50 recommendations from last year’s COI …
Important progress has been made on governance reforms recommended last year by the Commission of Inquiry, but much more work is needed to ensure that they will “take root” by …
Continue reading “Guv upbeat on COI reforms, but says more work needed”
Despite the recent change in overseas territory ministerial leadership and the pending change of governor early next year, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said on July 25 that progress on …
Virgin Islands leaders will have to speed up governance reforms to meet an important May 2024 deadline, Governor John Rankin said on June 9 while giving an update on his …
Continue reading “Rankin: COI reform progress ‘still too slow’”
Despite substantive progress in completing the ongoing reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry, the “overall pace of the process is slower than expected,” Governor John Rankin said this week …
Continue reading “COI reforms ‘slower than expected,’ governor says”
Thirteen of the 50 reform measures government promised following the Commission of Inquiry were complete by the end of October, with 35 more in progress and two scheduled to start …
Continue reading “13 Commission of Inquiry reforms complete as of unit’s latest report”
Despite a few delays in recent weeks, Governor John Rankin said yesterday that he has “no major concerns” with the government’s progress toward its commitment to implement a series of …
Continue reading “Governor: Commission of Inquiry reforms still on track”
Along with the broader governance reforms laid out in the proposal, the National Unity Government committed to an extensive list of deadlines for carrying out recommendations included in the Commission …
Continue reading “Reform proposal includes dozens of deadlines”
