"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
The Constitutional Review Commission has requested and received a six-month extension beyond its original June deadline to produce a report, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said recently in the House …
Continue reading “Constitutional review gets six extra months”
A review of belongership and residency is complete, and a report will be tabled in the House of Assembly soon, according to Premier’s Office Permanent Secretary Carolyn Stoutt-Igwe. The update …
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 …
Less than two months after then-Premier Andrew Fahie’s Virgin Islands Party government came to power in February 2019, the Cabinet unlawfully revoked the membership of the VI Climate Change Trust …
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’”
When will politicians learn? Once again, Auditor General Sonia Webster has carried out her mandate with exacting professionalism. In two recent reports that should make taxpayers’ blood boil, she alleged …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: The auditor general is a hero. Heed her advice.”
When tabling an auditor general report that alleges consultant Claude Skelton-Cline did little to deliver contracted work for the government despite receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars over two and …
As of Jan. 31, work had begun on 49 of 50 of the reform measures government promised following the Commission of Inquiry, with 19 already complete and 30 under way, …
Continue reading “19 Commission of Inquiry reforms complete by Jan. 31”
The government paid $2.04 million to EZ Shipping Limited to rent barges for five months of border security services in 2020 and 2021 — including $738,000 for about two months …
Continue reading “EZ Shipping barges cost government $2 million”
Despite recent progress, the Commission of Inquiry reforms need to continue and go further before the United Kingdom will lift the order in council that allows the governor to partially …
Continue reading “Premier says order in council won’t lift soon”
The National Unity Government has made steady progress on the reforms promised following the Commission of Inquiry, but amid various challenges it is now asking the United Kingdom to extend …
Continue reading “15 of 50 Commission of Inquiry reforms complete”
Reforms to governance, education, environmental protection, health care and other areas are among the government’s legislative priorities for a new House of Assembly session that started Tuesday, Governor John Rankin …
Continue reading “Throne speech promises wide-ranging reforms”
After “much consideration,” Governor John Rankin announced his plan to assent to the Register of Interests (Amendment) Act, 2022 despite his misgivings about amendments legislators made behind closed doors. However, …
Continue reading “Guv gives one year to fix interests register”
Following the recent leadership shakeup in the United Kingdom, senior UK officials have postponed meetings with leaders in the Virgin Islands and other overseas territories. Former OT Minister Jesse Norman …
Continue reading “Meetings with United Kingdom leaders delayed”
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States called on the United Kingdom this week to withdraw the order in council that is being held in reserve to suspend the Virgin Islands …
This month brought good and bad news as Governor John Rankin and Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley both reported on the first three months of the ongoing Commission of Inquiry …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government, governor must collaborate on reform promises”
Three days after Governor John Rankin released his first quarterly review on the implementation of the Commission of Inquiry recommendations, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said the document included criticisms …
Governor John Rankin on Oct. 4 published his first quarterly report on the ongoing reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry, guardedly praising the overall progress while also noting a …
Continue reading “Kudos and ‘concern’: Governor reviews reforms”
Legislators created a special select Reform Committee on Sept. 27 to help ensure that the House of Assembly meets its law-making obligations under the National Unity Government’s framework for implementing …
More than 11,000 pages of supporting documents that Governor John Rankin received with the Commission of Inquiry report on April 4 were posted last week on government’s website — more …
Continue reading “Commission of Inquiry supporting documents now public”
The recent Commission of Inquiry reported finding evidence that the Premier’s Office under former Premier Andrew Fahie may have obstructed government auditors investigating Covid-19 assistance programmes. A new law is …
Hoping to address long-standing issues with the territory’s jury pool that resulted in legal action in 2019, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley recently introduced a bill in the House of …
Last week government backbencher Mark Vanterpool once again got permission to retain his seat in the House of Assembly while one of his businesses secures a government contract. To make …
Several recovery projects are far behind schedule as the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Irma approaches, but Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said during a Aug. 8 press conference that the …
The framework for carrying out Commission of Inquiry recommendations includes a deluge of deadlines for July, but Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said last week that his National Unity Government …
