"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
There was an elephant in the room this month when the territory celebrated International Women’s Day amidst the ongoing election campaigns. In recent decades, Virgin Islands women have increasingly taken …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Women much missed in House of Assembly”
Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley moved to withdraw the controversial Police Act 2023 last Thursday in the House of Assembly, saying that he would re-introduce a scaled-down bill today that …
In recent weeks, public officers including members of the BVI Teachers Union have complained vocally about pay increments that government has owed them for years. But Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” …
As part of its legal obligation to support the world’s non-self-governing territories, the 77th United Nations General Assembly recently adopted its annual resolution to support the Virgin Islands. In that …
Continue reading “Premier: UN, VI relations ‘stronger than ever’”
Amid upset concerning outstanding increments due to teachers, Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie de Castro met with the BVI Teachers Union last month and promised progress, according to …
Continue reading “Minister promises progress on teacher increments”
Natural Resources and Labour Minister Mitch Turnbull attended and moderated a virtual regional forum on climate change last month, and before it got under way he stood in the Feb. …
Continue reading “Minister reps Virgin Islands in climate change meeting”
With a general election due in less than three months, the Virgin Islands is heading into an unusually short campaign season. That’s a good thing. Prior to past elections, campaigning …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: A long cheer for short campaigns”
Looking far beyond the few remaining months the current House of Assembly will be in place, HOA members have made official a roadmap for the territory’s development until 2036. Premier …
Years of efforts to reform the legislation governing the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force — including by broadening officers’ powers to make arrests without warrants and to collect physical evidence …
The number of civil servants on paid interdiction has been rising, and the government is trying to find the best way to address associated logistical and budgetary challenges, Premier Dr. …
The Virgin Islands is charting a way forward to work in collaboration with the world’s largest marine studies institute to better understand the natural resources of its waters. Natural Resources …
In the interest of teacher retention, student achievement, and the overall success of the territory’s schools, a cohort of school administrators are participating in leadership training, according to Education, Youth …
Continue reading “Ministry aims to strengthen principals’ leadership skills”
Since the recent introduction of a new programme designed to match jobseekers with short-term employment opportunities, hundreds of residents have expressed an interest in participating and some have since found …
For decades, successive governments dragged their feet in the House of Assembly, moving at a snail’s pace and getting bogged down in politicking and petty squabbles instead of efficiently passing …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: We hate to say it, but the HOA may need to slow down”
Legislators celebrated the allocation of funds to several delayed capital projects before passing the 2023 budget on Dec. 21, but they also called attention to other stalled work and took …
The Joes Hill affordable-housing development that originally broke ground in April 2017 is nearing completion, and the application process for prospective buyers is under way, according to Health and Social …
Continue reading “Penn: Joes Hill project ‘substantially complete’”
Ahead of the holiday season, the Virgin Islands is preparing to join a regional programme that aims to set standards for public health management in the tourism sector across the …
The House of Assembly passed the Virgin Islands Jury Act, 2022 with amendments after coming out of committee on Oct. 25, according to HOA Public Relations Officer Linton Leonard. However, …
An amendment before the House of Assembly would bring the territory one step closer to setting up a long-promised system of deposit insurance in the territory. The amendment to the …
Continue reading “Bill is another step toward deposit insurance”
Finding enough impartial jurors to hear court cases in the territory has proved challenging in recent years, but a solution may be on the horizon as legislators this week debated …
An amendment currently before the House of Assembly seeks to give the Financial Services Commission more tools to handle banking crises and would set a long-awaited framework to bring into …
Continue reading “Bill includes framework for deposit insurance”
Two new members will be added to the National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Coordinating Council if a recently passed bill gets the governor’s assent. The House of Assembly passed …
Continue reading “Financial crimes council gets more members”
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 …
Legislators are aiming to find a better balance in regulating non-profit organisations based in the Virgin Islands, they said this week as they debated a proposed amendment to the Non-Profit …
Continue reading “House of Assembly okays updates to nonprofit organisation rules”
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 …
