"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
After spending nearly seven hours in closed-door committee on Tuesday, the House of Assembly passed a motion approving a Schedule of Additional Provisions on Tuesday with a unanimous vote, freeing …
Continue reading “HOA okays $31 million in spending variations”
The Virgin Islands government has paid out more than $8 million in responding to the United Kingdom-led Commission of Inquiry, most of which went toward covering legal fees, Premier Dr. …
Continue reading “Commission of Inquiry cost government more than $8 million”
Five bills passed by the House of Assembly over the past five years still await the governor’s assent, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said on May 26 in response to …
Though government paid the United Kingdom-headquartered law firm Withers LLP $6.5 million for representation during the Commission of Inquiry, not all branches of government benefited from the firm’s services, according …
Continue reading “$6.5 million paid to Withers during inquiry”
With 10 votes in favour and one absence from Health and Social Development Minister Carvin Malone, the House of Assembly unanimously passed a no-confidence resolution on Thursday calling to revoke …
Continue reading “UPDATE: House votes to oust Premier Andrew Fahie”
The evening of April 19, legislators emerged from closed-door committee to announce that the 143-page bill meant to overhaul outdated rules for fishing, farming and other food supply issues passed …
A delegation from the House of Assembly visited the United Kingdom Parliament last week to document policies and procedures that they might apply to their own work in the territory, …
Continue reading “House of Assembly members visit United Kingdom Parliament”
Though only first-time homeowners will now benefit, the House of Assembly recently voted to continue exempting belongers from paying stamp duty when buying land. Premier Andrew Fahie presented the Stamps …
Two House of Assembly members got the green light for their businesses to secure government contracts during a March 10 sitting. House Deputy Speaker Neville Smith was exempted from vacating …
Continue reading “HOA okays government contracts for 2 members”
New legislation making its way through the House of Assembly could result in significant changes to how people in the Virgin Islands grow, catch, raise, import, export and sell food. …
Two contrasting pictures of the territory’s economic future emerged during the budget debate this week in the House of Assembly. Government legislators described 2021 as a successful year despite the …
Continue reading “Government aims for growth in 2022 budget”
Following another year of economic struggles amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Premier Andrew Fahie promised a brighter 2022 during his budget address on Nov. 11. Government, he said, hopes to tap …
Following a debate that stressed the importance of sharing Virgin Islands history with new generations, the House of Assembly brought the Public Holidays Amendment Act, 2021 for first, second and …
The House of Assembly did not decide outright last week whether or not to excuse Speaker Julian Willock from personally paying more than $120,000 in legal fees he incurred while …
Continue reading “HOA sends Willock fee motion to committee”
A proposed new procurement law is designed to promote international commerce while ensuring that the government’s contractor selection process is transparent and fair to Virgin Islands businesses, according to Premier …
The House of Assembly last week voted once again to exempt Deputy Speaker Neville Smith from vacating his HOA seat because of two more government contracts for a firm where …
Continue reading “HOA okays two more Neville Smith contracts”
The House of Assembly passed a bill on Sept. 23 to merge the territory’s airport and seaport authorities into a new statutory body responsible for border management. But Premier Andrew …
Continue reading “HOA approves airport, seaport merger bill”
While lawmakers were working recently to avoid pandemic-related deficit spending, they saw some “interesting things” in the budget because of spending that was not “mindful,” Premier Andrew Fahie said in …
Continue reading “HOA okays almost $50m in spending changes”
After imposing an hour and a half maximum time for each member of the House of Assembly to voice their concerns under personal business, Speaker of the House Julian Willock …
Continue reading “Leaders make personal pleas for vaccination”
Over the course of two lengthy meetings, the House of Assembly determined that Jeanette Scatliffe-Boynes would continue to act as the director of the Social Security Board for a six-month …
Covid-19 continues to plague communities around the world, which government leaders said last week was a main motivator for passing harsher border-control legislation that could lead to a 10-year prison …
In the interest of supporting green industries, members of the House of Assembly passed a resolution on Aug. 26 to add certain energy-based goods to the list of zero-tax items …
If a pair of resolutions pass today in the House of Assembly, Jeanette Scatliffe-Boynes would continue to act as the director of the Social Security Board through the end of …
Continue reading “Social Security Board directorship debated”
Asked recently how much the government is paying the law firm Withersworldwide for representation during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry, Premier Andrew Fahie did not provide an exact figure. But …
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn sought a comprehensive list of Cabinet decisions during a recent House of Assembly sitting, but Premier Andrew Fahie declined to provide it, first claiming that it …
