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Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton

February 13, 2025

House clashes over money-crime bills

Heated House of Assembly exchanges this week saw Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley accuse some opposition members of wanting to the flush the financial services industry “down the drain.” The flashpoint …

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by Shaun Connolly
November 8, 2024

Firms’ failure to file financials sparked urgent bill

Urgent legislation has been triggered after it emerged that up to 30 percent of companies registered in the Virgin Islands were on track to miss a deadline for submitting financial …

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by Shaun Connolly
Premier Natalio Wheatley
November 7, 2024

Confidence vote could be delayed to next year after gov’t walkout

A no-confidence vote the opposition has been pushing for more than two months may now be delayed until as late as next March following a government walkout last week in …

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by Allison Vaughn
October 10, 2024

Premier defends $100m borrow

Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley has hit back at opposition criticism of a $100 million loan designed to boost the government’s long-delayed recovery from the hurricanes of 2017. His comments …

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by Shaun Connolly
September 19, 2024

Financial services reforms continue

The House of Assembly suspended its usual rules on Monday to introduce and pass two financial services bills designed to avoid international sanction by bringing the territory in line with …

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by Allison Vaughn
September 19, 2024

House tackling last COI reform

The House of Assembly began tackling its final Commission of Inquiry reform this week as legislators debated the first of five bills designed to improve the governance of five statutory …

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by Allison Vaughn
September 5, 2024

Opposition tries no-confidence vote

Citing a lengthy list of grievances and accusing the premier of “incompetence,” the opposition attempted to topple the government with a vote of no-confidence on Tuesday in the House of …

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by Rushton Skinner
August 20, 2024

EDITORIAL: Opposition should stop resisting COI reforms

For decades, successive Virgin Islands governments have shamelessly wasted the public’s money by awarding pork-barrel contracts to cronies and other unqualified bidders. Last month, a divided House of Assembly barely …

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by BVI Beacon
August 15, 2024

HOA okays vetting law enforcers

Certain prison, customs and immigration officers could soon be subject to new vetting requirements under a bill the House of Assembly passed recently in accordance with a Commission of Inquiry …

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by Allison Vaughn
August 2, 2024

HOA limits Cabinet’s power over contracts

Despite dissent from five opposition members, the House of Assembly narrowly voted on Tuesday to dramatically limit Cabinet’s discretion over contract awards in keeping with recommendations from the 2022 Commission …

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by Allison Vaughn
July 26, 2024

HOA passes governor’s inquiry bill

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the House of Assembly returned from closed-door committee and passed an amended version of a bill proposed by Governor Daniel Pruce to modernise the …

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by FREEMAN ROGERS
HOA inquiry act
July 18, 2024

Guv’s inquiry bill sparks cries of ‘dictatorship’

On Tuesday in the House of Assembly, two legislators used the word “dictatorship” to decry a bill that Governor Daniel Pruce is proposing to modernise the Commission of Inquiry Act …

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by Allison Vaughn
July 12, 2024

HOA okays Skelton contract worth $36k monthly

The House of Assembly has passed a motion to allow Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton to retain his seat even though a company he leads is renewing a $36,000-a-month contract to …

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by Shaun Connolly
July 12, 2024

HOA shoring up assistance programme

The House of Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that aims to further reform the Assistance Grants Programme, which has been dramatically revamped over the past two years in keeping with …

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by Allison Vaughn
May 30, 2024

Immigration bill passes with amendments

The Immigration and Passport Amendment Bill, 2024, passed with amendments on Friday after the House of Assembly returned from a closed-door committee session, according to HOA Public Relations Officer Linton …

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by Allison Vaughn
May 24, 2024

HOA debates 20-year path to belongership

A 20-year residence requirement for belongership applicants is among the broad-ranging immigration reforms proposed under a bill currently under consideration in the House of Assembly. The Immigration and Passport Amendment …

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by Allison Vaughn
May 16, 2024

National Bank urged to offer more

Demands have been made for the National Bank of the Virgin Islands to do more for customers. Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton recently raised the issue in the House of Assembly, …

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by Shaun Connolly
April 11, 2024

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 …

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by Allison Vaughn
March 25, 2024

Bill keeps restrictions on interests register

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 …

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by Allison Vaughn
March 15, 2024

HOA votes to up penalties for withholding stats

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 …

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by Allison Vaughn
March 14, 2024

Property tax, buildings bills passed in HOA

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 …

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by Allison Vaughn
March 1, 2024

Big plans but few funds for roads

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 …

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by Rushton Skinner
February 9, 2024

57 big ideas for the new Constitution

Adding two at-large seats to the House of Assembly. Amending the Constitution to grant the public an explicit right to access government information. Holding a referendum on whether to adopt …

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by Allison Vaughn
February 1, 2024

New governor swears in

The new governor of the Virgin Islands was sworn in to office Monday after arriving in the territory three days earlier. Upstairs in the House of Assembly building, Daniel Pruce …

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by Rushton Skinner
January 25, 2024

Governor bids farewell

In January 2021, Governor John Rankin arrived in the Virgin Islands days after his predecessor dropped a political bombshell by announcing a Commission of Inquiry into possible corruption in the …

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by Rushton Skinner

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