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 …
September 19, 2024
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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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 …
June 3, 2024
Premier, health minister at SIDS conference
Can small island developing states like the Virgin Islands meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? This question is among the main discussion topics on the agenda this …
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April 4, 2024
Virgin Gorda celebrates Easter
While sitting behind Buck’s Food Market in Virgin Gorda, members of the Filipino troupe Tribo Pilipinas talked and laughed as they awaited the start of the Easter Monday Parade. They …
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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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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February 2, 2024
Glass crusher at work in Pockwood Pond
A new glass crusher at the Pockwood Pond dumpsite is now tasked with diverting as much as one-fifth of Tortola’s waste stream. Located between the non-operational incinerator and the concrete …
December 18, 2023
Virgin Gorda gets in holiday spirit
Vendors lined Lee Road in Spanish Town on Friday and Saturday to give Virgin Gorda residents their counterpart to Road Town’s Christmas in the City the previous weekend. As fungi …
May 6, 2023
VIP-led government announces ministries
The new House of Assembly is taking shape. The past week saw the appointment of Progressive Virgin Islands Movement leader Ronnie Skelton as opposition leader and the setting of ministerial …
April 8, 2022
Major cuts planned for import duties
Government leaders said last week that they hope to ease the burden of rising costs for food, gas and other resources by slashing import duties. But they urged business owners …
December 1, 2021
Self-determination discussed at UK meetings
Fresh off their diplomatic travels to Europe last month, government leaders explained their progress on planning for the future of environmental management, national security, marijuana legalisation, and greater self-determination. During …
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November 19, 2021
Many island nations not impressed with United Nations climate change ‘pact’
During a Nov. 9 side event at the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow, Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley took the podium to describe how the …
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October 1, 2021
Imprisoned convicts were considered for belongership
As part of government’s 2019 “fast-track” programme, Cabinet considered granting belonger status to two convicted criminals, including a man serving 10 years for rape in the United States, Commission of …
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August 20, 2021
Labour minister grilled on work permits
On Monday in the House of Assembly, opposition member Julian Fraser took aim at the recent Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration policy of requiring holders of work permits …
July 21, 2021
Work permit system goes online
A new electronic work permit system has arrived just as the Covid-19 pandemic has led to more and more business being conducted remotely. Premier Andrew Fahie, during a virtual rollout …
May 20, 2021
Commission of Inquiry questions ministers, others
The United Kingdom’s Commission of Inquiry has been pressing forward with seeking evidence of corruption and misconduct in the territory, holding a series of hearings focused largely on document production. …
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May 8, 2021
Minister warns about ‘unfair’ redundancies
Employers must be “transparent, fair and reasonable” when making workers redundant, Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley told the House of Assembly last Thursday in a statement he …
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April 26, 2021
Work permit exemptions revised
After a recent review, work permit exemptions will look different when the Department of Labour and Workforce Development resumes granting them, according to Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minster Vincent …
March 23, 2021
Layoff extensions nearly over
Time is nearly up for employers who have managed to avoid paying severance to their furloughed employees for nearly a year, Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley announced …
November 18, 2020
Furlough period extended until February
Amid demands from the business community, Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley has announced that the workforce furlough extension passed in the House of Assembly in June will …
November 16, 2020
Chamber demands another furlough extension
The workforce furlough extension passed in the House of Assembly in June expired on Saturday, and now the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association is demanding what it called …
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October 1, 2020
Housing project slowed but progressing
Though the Covid-19 pandemic slowed work on government’s planned housing complex in Joes Hill, construction is still on track to be completed within the planned three-and-a-half years from when the …
July 31, 2020
House votes to review 2007 Constitution
As the Virgin Islands prepares to celebrate emancipation, elected leaders also turned to the history books this week before greenlighting a constitutional review. Premier Andrew Fahie referenced the political groundswell …
July 23, 2020
Labour relaxes new work-permit rules
On July 10, Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley announced the immediate implementation of extra steps for businesses renewing work permits. This week, he walked back that plan …