The House of Assembly suspended its usual rules on Monday to introduce and pass two financial services bills designed to avoid international sanction by bringing the territory in line with …
September 19, 2024
September 19, 2024
House tackling last COI reform
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 …
September 4, 2024
12 bills laid days before COI deadline
Two days before the missed Saturday deadline for completing the sweeping reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry, the House of Assembly suspended its usual rules to introduce 12 bills. …
August 23, 2024
A $13 million mistake
In the 2024 Budget Address last November, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley announced a Cabinet decision to include about $10 million in this year’s budget to ensure that all public …
August 15, 2024
HOA okays vetting law enforcers
Certain prison, customs and immigration officers could soon be subject to new vetting requirements under a bill the House of Assembly passed recently in accordance with a Commission of Inquiry …
August 2, 2024
HOA limits Cabinet’s power over contracts
Despite dissent from five opposition members, the House of Assembly narrowly voted on Tuesday to dramatically limit Cabinet’s discretion over contract awards in keeping with recommendations from the 2022 Commission …
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July 29, 2024
EDITORIAL: Minimum wage needs more regular review
The government’s decision to increase the minimum wage from $6 to $8.50 per hour at the end of November is an important step in the right direction. But for too …
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June 27, 2024
BOSSS bill pulled from House schedule
Legislation aimed at fighting money crime was dropped from the House of Assembly’s agenda at the last minute without explanation on Tuesday. The Beneficial Ownership Secure Search System (Amendment) Act …
June 21, 2024
Premier upbeat after UK talks at UN
Talks in New York between Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley and the British deputy ambassador to the United Nations have been hailed as “constructive.” The premier met James Kariuki during …
May 16, 2024
National Bank urged to offer more
Demands have been made for the National Bank of the Virgin Islands to do more for customers. Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton recently raised the issue in the House of Assembly, …
May 13, 2024
Minimum wage report submitted to government
Low-paid workers in the Virgin Islands came a step closer to a possible minimum wage increase as a special report on the matter was submitted to the government for consideration. …
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April 25, 2024
Fraud busters hold conference here
Some of the world’s top asset-recovery lawyers were among more than 100 people from about 30 countries who gathered at Scrub Island Resort last week for a global anti-fraud conference …
April 22, 2024
EDITORIAL: Online labour system a long time in coming
Work-permit applications and other labour processes should have been moved online more than 15 years ago, and we were greatly disappointed when the government’s first such system failed in early …
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April 16, 2024
‘No great rush’ on Global Minimum Tax
The Virgin Islands expects the next United Kingdom government to respect its decision on whether to sign up for the Global Minimum Tax initiative, Deputy Premier Lorna Smith said April …
April 15, 2024
All labour processes to go online
The government’s first online work-permit system shut down in February 2022 after barely six months in operation. Now, officials are trying again. Work-permit processing and private-sector job applications will be …
April 15, 2024
Smith: Money-crime report not ‘damning’
The Virgin Islands is not facing a crisis in combating financial crime despite a recent report by international watchdogs which some experts viewed as scathing, Deputy Premier Lorna Smith said …
April 12, 2024
Minimum wage boost is ‘likely,’ Smith says
The $6-per-hour minimum wage is “likely” to increase after the findings of a committee reviewing the matter are presented to government by the end of the month, according to Deputy …
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March 25, 2024
Arbitrators discuss Caribbean industries
Construction, oil and gas, renewable energy and fintech were among the Caribbean industries that topped the discussion agenda last week during the fifth annual BVI Arbitration Week. The five-day event …
March 25, 2024
UK-OT finance dialogue marks one year
A series of meetings last week marked the completion of the first year of an ongoing dialogue between the United Kingdom and the overseas territories on fighting financial crime, according …
March 15, 2024
HOA votes to up penalties for withholding stats
As part of efforts to help government collect information as the census continues, lawmakers have passed a bill designed to impose harsher penalties on people who withhold statistics they are …
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February 26, 2024
Call made for unemployment benefits
Unemployment benefits are needed in the Virgin Islands because people are “suffering,” the opposition has warned. Deputy Speaker Stacy Mather sounded the alarm while questioning Health and Social Development Minister …
February 16, 2024
After Rutley visit, premier ‘confident’ on reforms
Nearly half an hour late to the press conference he called on Friday morning, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley stepped into the multimedia room on the first floor of his …
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February 16, 2024
Premier at OECS meeting in St. Kitts
Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley is scheduled to return to the territory today after attending the 74th Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Authority in St. Kitts. At …