"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
A November visit by Britain’s new overseas territories minister will be a crunch moment in the ongoing effort to get London to lift its threat to impose temporary direct rule …
Continue reading “Premier hopes Doughty visit will end threat of direct rule”
Just ahead of the Saturday deadline for completing the Commission of Inquiry reforms, the House of Assembly has been debating a bill that would bring sweeping reforms to the …
A private register of interests for senior public officers. New integrity rules. The creation of a government department known as the Virgin Islands Public Service Learning Institute. All are among …
Continue reading “HOA debating sweeping reforms for public service”
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 …
A 30-year veteran of the United Kingdom’s policing service has been named the “implementation manager” responsible for overseeing immediate priority reforms across the Virgin Islands’ law-enforcement and justice-administration agencies. Governor’s …
Continue reading “Veteran UK cop to oversee law, justice reforms”
Ongoing reforms to streamline and improve the taxi-permitting process will include capping new permits at 23 per year, according to Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer. Speaking to the House …
Continue reading “New taxi permits to be capped at 23 per year”
Governor John Rankin drew the ire of elected leaders last week when he announced plans to seek additional powers to push through delayed Commission of Inquiry reforms. Premier Dr. Natalio …
Continue reading “Premier fumes as governor seeks new powers”
At a time when the United Kingdom and her overseas territories are promising to recalibrate their relationship following this month’s Joint Ministerial Council meetings in London, we were glad to …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Recent talks were a step toward needed UK-OT reset”
“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” This quotation, often attributed to Mahatma Ghandi, is well worth considering as the Virgin Islands observes its 20th …
There was an elephant in the room this month when the territory celebrated International Women’s Day amidst the ongoing election campaigns. In recent decades, Virgin Islands women have increasingly taken …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Women much missed in House of Assembly”
Over the next year, the Constitutional Review Commission will work to produce a report advising the House of Assembly on the way forward toward a stronger Constitution. But first, they …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Please weigh in on Constitution”
The stakes are high as the United Kingdom-appointed Commission of Inquiry prepares to submit its recommendations to Governor John Rankin next month. Following two similar COIs in the Turks and …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Direct UK rule should be a very last resort”
In recent weeks, hearings in the Commission of Inquiry have again highlighted a longstanding problem in the territory: Successive governments have used exceedingly poor practice when appointing and removing the …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Boards mishandled, almost across the board”
If the government is looking for easy win, a golden opportunity has arisen. Last week, the Public Holidays Review Committee published a list of recommendations that it now plans to …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Public holiday reform an easy win for government”
Operating a reliable, convenient ferry service between Tortola and St. Thomas is not rocket science. It is not even ferry science. It is plain common sense. But despite decades of …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: The ferry system is a national embarrassment”