"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
The BVI Airports Authority is seeking proposals for a comprehensive business case to decide the way forward for the development of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. The study — …
Continue reading “In a first, government seeks full business case for airport expansion”
Elected officials’ recent squabbles in the House of Assembly reflect a failure to work together and carry out the important business of governing the Virgin Islands. During the HOA meeting …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: HOA should stop bickering and get down to business”
We are delighted that the government plans to launch a public crown land register that can be viewed online. Even better, the register is only one part of ongoing reforms …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Crown land reform a long time in coming”
A public Crown Land Allocation Register will be created soon and posted online, according to Ronald Smith-Berkeley, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change. …
For more than a decade, a disturbing lack of transparency has surrounded multiple governments’ unsuccessful efforts to expand the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. The new government must turn over …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Airport project won’t work without full transparency”
Nearly two weeks after seizing an airplane carrying suspected cocaine on Anegada on Aug. 19, police are still refusing to provide details about the incident or to address online reports …
After seizing an airplane carrying a “significant amount” of suspected cocaine on Aug. 19 on Anegada, police released a three-sentence statement about the incident. Then they went quiet. The Aug. …
The government hosted a stakeholder meeting on Aug. 18 to discuss its plan to expand the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. But the public and the media weren’t invited. “This …
Continue reading “Gov’t hosts meeting on airport expansion, but public not invited”
The recent report from election observers should serve as a reminder for the new government to tackle long-needed reforms before voters head to the polls again. We were pleased that …
The Beacon had been requesting a copy of the Anegada solar contract for more than a year when the BVI Electricity Corporation finally responded in February. Its answer: a hard …
When will politicians learn? Once again, Auditor General Sonia Webster has carried out her mandate with exacting professionalism. In two recent reports that should make taxpayers’ blood boil, she alleged …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: The auditor general is a hero. Heed her advice.”
Kudos to Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley for hosting regular press conferences ever since he was appointed premier last May. At sessions held every few weeks — often flanked by …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Press conferences a big step toward transparency”
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”
This month brought good and bad news as Governor John Rankin and Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley both reported on the first three months of the ongoing Commission of Inquiry …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government, governor must collaborate on reform promises”
The recent Commission of Inquiry reported finding evidence that the Premier’s Office under former Premier Andrew Fahie may have obstructed government auditors investigating Covid-19 assistance programmes. A new law is …
Our first draft of this editorial praised legislators for passing a bill last month to finally make the Register of Interests public, thereby promoting the sort of government transparency that …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Open the interests register with no restrictions”
We applaud the specific deadlines in the reform proposal agreed this month by the Virgin Islands and United Kingdom governments. The targets are ambitious, but they represent exactly the sort …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Coming reports and audits must be published quickly”
Kudos to Premier Andrew Fahie for holding regular press conferences in recent months, and to opposition members for hosting similar sessions fairly frequently as well. We hope this practice will …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Keep the press conferences coming”
For all the talk about transparency that has come out of the Governor’s Office in recent years, we were disappointed by Governor John Rankin’s decision not to release the Commission …
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The annual deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee should be open to the public. Unfortunately, our pleas have fallen on deaf …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Once again, SFC meetings should be public”
Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom put elected officials’ claims to be “champions of transparency” to the test last week, suggesting that they should have no objection to his Commission of Inquiry …
After the Commission of Inquiry was announced in January, Premier Andrew Fahie and other leaders promised that the government would assist investigators by providing requested information as transparently as possible. …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government must respond fully to COI requests”
Premier Andrew Fahie said again on May 20 that he believes all hearings before the Commission of Inquiry should be broadcast live for transparency’s sake, but the COI responded the …
Continue reading “Premier, COI contradict each other on hearings”
Kudos to the House of Assembly for making steady progress in recent weeks on a raft of legislation designed to improve governance in the territory. We hope to see all …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Governance bills a test of leaders’ promises”
The affordable housing project at Joes Hill could significantly benefit a segment of the Virgin Islands community that is often overlooked and marginalised. But to make it work, government leaders …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Affordable home project must be fair, transparent”
