The Burt Point sewage treatment plant is operational again for the first time since it sustained major damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Extensive repairs on the facility were completed …
Minimum wage boost is ‘likely,’ Smith says
The $6-per-hour minimum wage is “likely” to increase after the findings of a committee reviewing the matter are presented to government by the end of the month, according to Deputy …
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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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Hotel coming to Port Purcell as JOMA signs deal with government
The ongoing redevelopment of Port Purcell took another step forward last week when government signed an investment agreement that will see Virgin Islands developer JOMA Properties Ltd. build a 65-room …
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$670k budgeted for music festival
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 …
YEP says yep to Virgin Gorda
Eleven-year-old Virgin Gorda resident Azariah George is no stranger to the Tortola-based Youth Empowerment Project, which has hosted several pop-up activities on her island. Soon she’ll have a chance to …
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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United Nations decolonisation committee to visit
The Virgin Islands was recently approved to receive a visiting mission from the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation, according to Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley. “The purpose of such …
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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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Long-delayed rights watchdog in the works
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 …
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Premier eyeing full Caricom membership
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. …
EDITORIAL: HOA must fix flawed Register of Interests
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 …
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Premier in Guyana for Caricom meeting
Advancing intraregional trade, policy coordination and food security are among Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s goals this week as he attends the 46th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads …
Fahie, others not saying if they’ll take ‘Greedy Bill’ payout
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 …
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For foreign travel, $3.5m in five years
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. …
Money laundering report brings threat of ‘grey list’
A major international report released Monday raises serious concerns about the territory’s ability to deal with money laundering and other financial crime, leading one expert to warn that “red lights” …
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New law aims to free up millions from tourist levy
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. …
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After Rutley visit, premier ‘confident’ on reforms
Nearly half an hour late to the press conference he called on Friday morning, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley stepped into the multimedia room on the first floor of his …
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Premier at OECS meeting in St. Kitts
Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley is scheduled to return to the territory today after attending the 74th Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Authority in St. Kitts. At …
Just one firm bids on 38-mile road project
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 …
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OT minister brings sharp warning
Last month, outgoing governor John Rankin wrote to United Kingdom Overseas Territories Minister David Rutley to request additional powers to help his successor push through delayed Commission of Inquiry reforms. …
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 …
Rally honours Polish sailor who helped build Trellis Bay
Trellis Bay in Beef Island bustled with yachts, sailors, and the spirit of shared cultural heritage as Polish visitors and Virgin Islands residents came together last Thursday for a ceremony …
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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 …
Unite BVI to help rebuild primary school
A rebuild of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School in Road Town is among the education projects set to start this year under a memorandum of understanding signed Monday between government …