"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
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 …
The Covid-19 pandemic has hampered numerous infrastructure projects in the territory by causing raw material shortages, delaying supply shipments, and limiting working hours. But progress nevertheless has been made, including …
Demolition and waterproofing work has progressed at the Ralph T. O’Neal Administration Complex this year despite complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Transportation, Works and Utilities Minister Kye …
The BVI Airports Authority development fund has been tapped for various uses in recent years, including multiple consultancies costing hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as investments in equipment …
During an emergency meeting on July 29, the House of Assembly approved the appointment of a new BVI Health Services Authority Board chairman, Moleto Smith Jr., who is based in …
Continue reading “New USVI-based health services chair approved”
The Commission of Inquiry called House of Assembly Clerk Phyllis Evans to testify on July 14, asking her why incomplete applications for pandemic aid were accepted, how ministers decide who …
Continue reading “Clerk: HOA was ‘overwhelmed’ with Covid applications”
Heads of government from the Caribbean Community said last week that the organisation continues to support the Virgin Islands government as the United Kingdom-led independent Commission of Inquiry into possible …
After Commissioner of Inquiry Sir Gary Hickinbottom alleged that Speaker of the House Julian Willock had breached the Register of Interests Act all three years that he’s been in office, …
In recent days, the Commission of Inquiry has shone a glaring spotlight on the long-standing need to reform the system through which legislators declare their interests, a task that leaders …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: The Register of Interests is broken. No surprise there”
The below is my paraphrase of the combined submissions House of Assembly members gave to the Commission of Inquiry in recent days, with the exception of Deputy Speaker Neville Smith. …
Legislators recently discussed options for designating Crown land for residents interested in becoming first-time homeowners across the territory. In the question-and-answer segment in May 13’s House of Assembly sitting, Opposition …
Following a recent string of violent crimes in the territory, the House of Assembly has passed legislation to widen the definition of “explosives” to allow more aggressive prosecution of gun-related …
Leaders of the statutory boards that oversee tourism, airports, seaports and telecommunications were in the spotlight on May 13 in the House of Assembly when Opposition Leader Marlon Penn asked …
Continue reading “Statutory board members’ stipends discussed”
Legislation designed to bring greater transparency to public construction contracts was debated in the House of Assembly on May 13 in a move that Premier Andrew Fahie described as part …
In the House of Assembly, members can get away with saying almost anything under privilege without fear of retribution, except perhaps for calling another member a liar. It is not …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Show host, others called out”
Over the past week, legislators passed 11 bills in two days, including one that will alter their retirement package in a way that has not yet been disclosed to the …
The recent seaport reopening has come with some “teething pains,” but it has been an overall success, Premier Andrew Fahie said on April 29 in the House of Assembly. Between …
