The United States’ criminal complaint against former premier Andrew Fahie painted a disturbing picture of an international drug trade that flourished in the Virgin Islands with the help of bad …
May 23, 2022
May 16, 2022
EDITORIAL: Now is the time for transparency
Throughout his Commission of Inquiry, Sir Gary Hickinbottom demonstrated an unshakeable commitment to transparency. As a result, his findings have currency in the Virgin Islands community, which was able to …
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May 6, 2022
EDITORIAL: No way to go but up. The COI shows how.
The Virgin Islands hit rock bottom last week with the arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie in Miami on disturbing drug allegations. Fortunately, there is a way up. The roadmap is …
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April 28, 2022
EDITORIAL: Gov’t should discourage anonymous donations
It is great news that a resident has agreed to donate $4 million to help with the construction of badly needed new buildings on the Elmore Stoutt High School campus. However, …
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April 13, 2022
EDITORIAL: Publish the COI report. Now.
For all the talk about transparency that has come out of the Governor’s Office in recent years, we were disappointed by Governor John Rankin’s decision not to release the Commission …
March 18, 2022
EDITORIAL: East End bridge was a warning sign
The sudden recent discovery of severe damage to a bridge in East End is a troubling warning sign that should make the government review its approach to maintaining road infrastructure …
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January 31, 2022
EDITORIAL: Once again, SFC meetings should be public
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The annual deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee should be open to the public. Unfortunately, our pleas have fallen on deaf …
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January 27, 2022
EDITORIAL: Ambitious HOA agenda will require heavy lifting
The Speech from the Throne last week laid out an ambitious legislative agenda that could greatly benefit the territory. But it is a tall order. As usual, the government has …
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October 24, 2021
EDITORIAL: New public holiday a reason to celebrate
Monday was a red-letter day in Virgin Islands history. In a long-needed cultural leap, the territory left behind the quixotic St. Ursula’s Day and celebrated the first Heroes and Forefathers …
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October 4, 2021
EDITORIAL: UK shares responsibility for governance failings
“That’s how we’ve always done it.” This excuse has been bandied about with shocking abandon in the Commission of Inquiry in recent weeks as elected leaders and other senior officials …
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September 30, 2021
EDITORIAL: Mental health crises are a big red flag
We were deeply troubled to hear police warn recently that mental health crises are on the rise in the territory after they rescued a hospital patient from the water in …
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September 24, 2021
EDITORIAL: Boards mishandled, almost across the board
In recent weeks, hearings in the Commission of Inquiry have again highlighted a longstanding problem in the territory: Successive governments have used exceedingly poor practice when appointing and removing the …
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September 14, 2021
EDITORIAL: Premier dropped the ball on climate change fund
As we’ve said before, the current government’s 2019 decision to revoke all six appointed members of the Climate Change Trust Fund board was a huge mistake. The failure to replace …
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September 6, 2021
EDITORIAL: Four years after Irma, government recovery far behind
The Elmore Stoutt High School. The Isabella Morris Primary School. The Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre. The Road Town library. The West End ferry terminal. The National Emergency Operations Centre. …
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September 1, 2021
EDITORIAL: As inquiry resumes, government must provide info
As the Commission of Inquiry resumes hearings on Monday, the government should turn over a new leaf by quickly and completely producing all requested information so that the probe can …
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August 20, 2021
EDITORIAL: Incentives a good bet to boost vaccine pace
We are greatly relieved that the number of active Covid-19 cases has fallen rapidly in recent weeks. But this good news has also brought a shadow of concern: Following a …
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August 19, 2021
EDITORIAL: Kudos to Virgin Islands Olympians
This month, Virgin Islands Olympians brought a ray of sunshine to the territory during a dark time. For the first time in VI history, athletes from here qualified for the …
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July 9, 2021
EDITORIAL: Outbreak is deadly, vaccinations urgent
With Covid-19 cases spiking to dramatic record highs in recent days, the territory is facing a national health emergency. To keep the community safe, everyone must work together. The first …
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July 8, 2021
EDITORIAL: Big up the auditor general for stimulus report
We have reported extensively about the injustice and egregious lack of transparency surrounding the government’s Covid-19 economic stimulus package. The reality, it seems, is even worse than we thought. Our …
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May 31, 2021
EDITORIAL: Government must respond fully to COI requests
After the Commission of Inquiry was announced in January, Premier Andrew Fahie and other leaders promised that the government would assist investigators by providing requested information as transparently as possible. …
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May 26, 2021
EDITORIAL: Governance bills a test of leaders’ promises
Kudos to the House of Assembly for making steady progress in recent weeks on a raft of legislation designed to improve governance in the territory. We hope to see all …
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May 4, 2021
EDITORIAL: Affordable home project must be fair, transparent
The affordable housing project at Joes Hill could significantly benefit a segment of the Virgin Islands community that is often overlooked and marginalised. But to make it work, government leaders …
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April 19, 2021
EDITORIAL: Presence, transparency will win trust for COI
The success of the ongoing commission of inquiry depends heavily on the trust and support of the Virgin Islands community. For this reason, we are glad that COI members have …
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April 6, 2021
EDITORIAL: Government should explain funeral case
The government should explain in detail the circumstances that led to funeral-goers being exposed to Covid-19 last month in a potential super-spreader event even as the territory apparently jumped from …
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March 16, 2021
EDITORIAL: Kudos to pandemic heroes
March 11 marked the first anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought a year of extraordinary challenges for this territory and the rest of …