Government recently withdrew a bill that would have opened the Register of Interests to the public and required senior civil servants to join House of Assembly members in declaring their …
Speaker declines to excuse Fahie’s absence
Former premier Andrew Fahie came one step closer to losing his First District seat in the House of Assembly on July 19 when Speaker Corine George-Massicote refused to excuse his …
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Speaker silent on Fahie’s seat
After missing at least part of three consecutive sittings of the House of Assembly while awaiting trial in Miami, former premier Andrew Fahie may be in danger of losing his …
HOA passes trade licence bill
A bill aimed at making the Virgin Islands business climate more competitive by updating and streamlining the licensing process passed with amendments in the House of Assembly last Thursday as …
HOA okays $31 million in spending variations
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 …
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Commission of Inquiry cost government more than $8 million
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. …
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Five bills await governor’s assent
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 …
$6.5 million paid to Withers during inquiry
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 …
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UPDATE: House votes to oust Premier Andrew Fahie
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 …
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HOA passes food security law
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of April 19, legislators emerged from closed-door committee to announce that the 143-page bill meant to overhaul outdated rules for fishing, farming and other food supply issues passed …
House of Assembly members visit United Kingdom Parliament
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, …
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Stamp duty exemptions top $5.5 million
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 …
HOA okays government contracts for 2 members
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 …
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HOA debating food security bill
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. …
Government aims for growth in 2022 budget
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 …
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Premier presents $397m 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 …
2022 holiday list gets House approval
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 …
HOA sends Willock fee motion to committee
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 …
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House considers procurement bill
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 …
HOA okays two more Neville Smith contracts
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 …
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HOA approves airport, seaport merger bill
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 …
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HOA okays almost $50m in spending changes
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 …
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Leaders make personal pleas for vaccination
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 …
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SSB heads will continue to act
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 …
Crackdown coming on illegal entry
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 …