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, …
Bill is another step toward deposit insurance
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 …
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House considers widening jury pool
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 …
Bill includes framework for deposit insurance
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 …
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Financial crimes council gets more members
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 …
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New HOA committee to push COI reforms
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 …
House of Assembly okays updates to nonprofit organisation rules
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 …
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Jury reform is back on table after COI
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 …
Water, sewerage authority in works
Legislators gave the green light last week to create a new statutory body to oversee water and sewerage, claiming the move will help rectify longstanding infrastructure problems that have plagued …
HOA agrees to cut remittance tax
Cabinet’s July 20 decision to reduce the remittance tax — often criticised for targeting the territory’s poorest residents — got the green light from the House of Assembly on Tuesday. …
Premier says COI reforms still on track
The framework for carrying out Commission of Inquiry recommendations includes a deluge of deadlines for July, but Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said last week that his National Unity Government …
VI, neighbours collaborate on environment
The Virgin Islands is working with its Caribbean neighbours to help ensure the long-term health of key ecosystems, Natural Resources and Labour Minister Mitch Turnbull said on July 21 in …
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HOA okays public Register of Interests
On June 30, legislators missed their deadline to make the Register of Interests public and establish penalties for violating declaration rules. On July 21, however, they passed a bill to …
HOA officially ‘rejects’ direct UK rule
More than a month ago, the new National Unity Government agreed to work with the United Kingdom to carry out reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry — thereby avoiding …
Government withdraws register bill
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 …
EDITORIAL: Andrew Fahie should resign
First District Representative Andrew Fahie should resign his seat in the House of Assembly without further ado. If he refuses, he should be removed as soon as possible. Mr. Fahie, …
Premier defends biz licensing law
After business stakeholders raised concerns about several aspects of the Business Licensing Act passed two weeks ago in the House of Assembly, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley defended the bill …
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 …
House of Assembly green-lights 2021 supplementary spending
Unanticipated expenses including security, arbitration, infrastructure, and public servant increments required legislators to approve supplementary spending for 2021 and 2022, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said on May 26 in …
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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 …
Nearly $1.5 million spent on $3.5 million ‘water network’ plan
Government has spent nearly $1.5 million of $3.5 million allocated for a “water network improvement plan” via an August 2018 Cabinet memorandum, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said last Thursday …
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Corine George-Massicote selected as new HOA Speaker
After accepting Speaker of the House Julian Willock’s resignation on May 3, members of the House of Assembly selected attorney Corine George-Massicote as his replacement Thursday morning. Ms. George-Massicote said …
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