House of Assembly members voted this week to make changes to their Register of Interests, but the extent of those changes is not clear because a bill they passed Tuesday …
Continue reading “HOA votes to change Register of Interests”
House of Assembly members voted this week to make changes to their Register of Interests, but the extent of those changes is not clear because a bill they passed Tuesday …
Continue reading “HOA votes to change Register of Interests”
While sitting behind Buck’s Food Market in Virgin Gorda, members of the Filipino troupe Tribo Pilipinas talked and laughed as they awaited the start of the Easter Monday Parade. They …
Government has allocated $670,000 for the Virgin Islands Music Festival in May but hopes to earn it all back through ticket sales, sponsorships and other revenue streams, Premier Dr. Natalio …
When lawmakers voted in July 2022 to make the Register of Interests public as advised by the Commission of Inquiry, they also added several viewing restrictions that drew strong criticism …
Continue reading “Bill keeps restrictions on interests register”
Hanging behind Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s chair in the House of Assembly in Road Town is a portrait of former premier Andrew Fahie. Asked Friday if Mr. Fahie’s photo …
Nineteen fifth graders from Ebenezer Thomas Primary School got a taste of leadership on Friday when they took part in a mock sitting of the House of Assembly. Led by …
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 …
Continue reading “HOA votes to up penalties for withholding stats”
The property tax and buildings bills were among legislation passed in House of Assembly this week. The Property Tax (Amendment) Bill 2023, which passed with amendments on March 5, is …
Continue reading “Property tax, buildings bills passed in HOA”
For more than 15 years, successive governments have been promising to establish the Human Rights Commission provided for in the 2007 Constitution. But the initiative has been delayed again and …
Continue reading “Long-delayed rights watchdog in the works”
The government is considering pursuing full membership in the Caribbean Community under an arrangement that would not require signing on to all the regional organisation’s agreements, according to Premier Dr. …
Ever since the Register of Interests Act was passed in 2008, the register has not functioned properly because legislators have used every trick in the book to hamstring it. For …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: HOA must fix flawed Register of Interests”
Former premier Andrew Fahie is currently imprisoned in Miami while lawyers wrangle over his fate after a jury found him guilty of a drug-trafficking conspiracy on Feb. 8. But he …
Continue reading “Fahie, others not saying if they’ll take ‘Greedy Bill’ payout”
More than four hours into last week’s House of Assembly meeting, Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton asked his second question to Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer. “Would the [minister] give …
The construction of the new National Emergency Operations Centre in McNamara was delayed by issues associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the project should be …
Continue reading “National Emergency Operations Centre delays blamed on Ukraine war and Covid”
Over the past five years, the government spent nearly $3.5 million on foreign travel expenses including accommodation, transportation, subsistence and warm clothing allowances, according to Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley. …
For more than six years, the government has been collecting a $10 levy from most non-cruise ship visitors as required by the 2017 Environmental Protection and Tourism Improvement Fund Act. …
Continue reading “New law aims to free up millions from tourist levy”
Two weeks after a Miami jury found former premier Andrew Fahie guilty of a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, his future remains uncertain as attorneys spar over whether the court should investigate …
Despite three deadline extensions in a tender process launched last October, only one company bid last week for a 38-mile road reconstruction project on Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van …
Continue reading “Just one firm bids on 38-mile road project”
Following harsh criticism from United Kingdom officials over delayed Commission of Inquiry reforms, the House of Assembly has renewed a committee tasked with overseeing legislative initiatives recommended by the COI. …
Continue reading “House of Assembly re-forms Commission of Inquiry committee”
The House of Assembly recently appointed all six opposition members to the Public Accounts Committee — in their absence. Originally, the House had been slated to approve the same appointments …
Elected officials’ recent squabbles in the House of Assembly reflect a failure to work together and carry out the important business of governing the Virgin Islands. During the HOA meeting …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: HOA should stop bickering and get down to business”
Cowardice. That is the label given to the actions of Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley by the opposition following last week’s House of Assembly meeting. In a press conference last …
Continue reading “Opposition defends House of Assembly walkout”
We applaud the House of Assembly and others responsible for recognising ten national heroes whose stories are an inspiration to current and future generations. The move was a welcome addition …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Standing on the shoulders of giants”
Government legislators reversed course this week on their previous plan to establish a Trade Commission as a statutory body in place of the existing Trade Department. The commission, which was …
In March 2022, Cabinet decided to award a $1.9 million contract to a New York-based firm to create the national tourism plan that successive governments had been promising for more …
Continue reading “Long-delayed tourism plan stalled for now”