In another historic and unconventional move, Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Andrew Fahie along with his Cabinet members meet for the second cabinet meeting of 2020 on Anegada today, January 15th.
That meeting is being conducted at the Four Diamonds Park Villas.
The first cabinet meeting of the new year was held on Jost Van Dyke and the decision to have cabinet meetings on the Sister Islands was made in consultation with the Governor and Chairman, Governor Augustus Jaspert.
The aim by the Fahie administration has been to include Sister Islands in decision making and processes as they seek to represent all Virgin Islands, not just in the capital of Tortola, BVI.
Fahie said, “Historically, Cabinet meetings have only been held on Tortola. As a Government, we are unconventional. We understand that as a Cabinet, we make decisions that also affect residents on the Sister Islands.”
He added, “Although the meetings are closed to the public, we see it fit to have the presence of Cabinet meetings on other Sister Islands, as our decisions affect everyone in the Territory. That is why I ensured that we included in the Speech from the Throne my Government’s commitment and intention to have at least one meeting a year on a few of our Sister Islands.”
He said the meetings represent ‘a promise made, a promise kept, and a promise delivered to the people of the Virgin Islands’.
The Cabinet of the Virgin Islands is comprised of the Governor, who is the Chairman; the Premier, the four Ministers and the Attorney General, as an ex officio member.
“I once again commend efforts to include our Sister Islands in various aspects of our government and democracy. With Cabinet being held on Anegada, we have now had Cabinet on each of our main sister islands, which has allowed for our citizens and residents to have the top executive decision making body sitting in their community,” Governor Jaspert said.
The Cabinet is responsible for the formulation of policy, including directing the implementation of such policy as it relates to every aspect of Government, except those matters for which the Governor has special responsibility under section 60 of Constitution. Decisions are made in Cabinet by collective agreement of the elected Members as Ministers.