SUPPORTING CLINE’S CONTRACTS WAS A MISTAKE – SAYS PREMIER WHEATLEY

Premier Dr. the Honourable has admitted that his support of Claude Skelton Cline’s contracts under the Andrew Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party Government from the period March 2019 to September 2021 was a mistake. Premier Wheatley’s comment came during the debate stage of the Auditor General’s Special Report on Clines contracts, which was laid before the … Continued

“1000 JOBS IN 1000 DAYS” INITIATIVE FAILED – ONLY 17% OF APPLICANTS HIRED DURING PERIOD

The “1000 Jobs in 1000 Days” initiative which was launched under the Virgin Islands Party Government in 2019 only managed to employ 17 percent of the total registered applicants during the programme’s time period. This was revealed in the Special Report of the Auditor General on Claude Skeleton Cline’s contracts under the Andrew-Fahie led Virgin … Continued

AG SPECIAL REPORT CONCLUDES THAT CLAUDE CLINE’S CONSULTANCY ADDED ZERO VALUE TO THE GOVT

The Special Report of the Auditor General on Claude Skeleton Cline’s contracts under the Andrew-Fahie led Virgin Islands Party Government has concluded that the purpose of his consultancy was not to add value to the government but rather to provide employment for Cline. The purpose of the investigation was for the Auditor General to provide … Continued

UN DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM AND GOVT AGREE TO EXTEND COUNTRY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The United Nations development system and the BVI Government has agreed to extend the UN-VI Country Implementation Plan throughout 2023 with revised priorities. This was confirmed by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley who made the announcement during a recent session of the House of Assembly. The Country Implementation Plan is … Continued

THE UNBORN CONSTITUTION PART 2: “THE CALIBRE OF LEADERSHIP REQUIRED IN THIS SEASON IS NOT TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED OR LIGHTLY: SHAINA SMITH-ARCHER

In part 1 of this commentary, I started sharing my thoughts on the Constitutional Review and why this exercise is laying the foundation for the best days of these Islands we call home. The more research I conduct on this topic I realise more that the system we have is not truly a democratic system … Continued

I WILL NOT BE SILENCED SAYS FLAX-CHARLES – PLANS TO ANNOUNCE HER NEXT STEP SOON

Territorial At Large Representative Hon. Shereen Flax-Charles says she will not be silenced and has disclosed that she will be revealing to the public in short order which new political party she will be joining ahead of the upcoming General Election. Flax Charles who is the Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Agriculture and … Continued

SOME STATUTORY BOARDS STILL UNCOOPERATIVE WITH COI REVIEWERS – SAYS GOVERNOR

Some statutory boards across the territory remain uncooperative in providing key information to reviewers who have been appointed as part of the implementation process of the Commission of Inquiry Report recommendations. This is according to His Excellency Governor John Rankin who made the statement at a press conference on Tuesday, as he updated the public … Continued

GOVT REQUEST SUPPLEMENTARY REVIEW AFTER BEING “BLACKLISTED” BY THE EU

The BVI Government has requested that a supplementary review be granted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum to reflect its current legislative status after being “blacklisted” by the European Union today. The BVI was added to the EU’s list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions (Annex I) this morning, after the EU … Continued

DECISION TO RESIGN FROM VIP WAS HARD BUT NECESSARY – VIEWS NOT ALIGNING

Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Agriculture and Fisheries Honourable Shereen Flax-Charles has said that her decision to resign from the Virgin Islands Party was very difficult, but one that was needed. The Territorial At Large Representative made the statement during an interview with 284Media earlier today, stating the decision had to be made … Continued