Cabinet appoints Economic Advisory Council
Meade Malone has been appointed chairman of of the new Economic and Fiscal Advisory Council.
The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new Economic and Fiscal Advisory Council to provide expert guidance on the territory’s financial and economic affairs.
The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on September 17, chaired by Governor Daniel Pruce, and includes a two-year mandate for the council. The body will be chaired by businessman Meade Malone, with Glenroy Forbes as vice chairman. Other members include Dion Stoutt, Patlian Johnson, Jennifer Potter, Lawrence Wheatley, Sendrick Chinnery, Roger Mathavious, Russell Harrigan, and Michael Thomas. The Financial Secretary and the Director of the Central Statistics Office will serve as ex officio members.
The council’s purpose is to advise the government on economic and fiscal matters, providing strategic input into policy planning and the development of the national economy. Cabinet also approved the council’s Terms of Reference, which have not been made public.
The formation of the new council comes nearly five years after former Premier Andrew Fahie established an Economic Advisory Council (EAC) in 2020 to support economic recovery and diversification efforts. Fahie’s council was described as a “non-constitutional and independent body” created to provide economic advice to the Premier.
It included Bishop John Cline as chair, with members drawn from the financial, tourism, and business sectors such as Patricia Romney, Peter Tarn, Shan Mohammed, Sjoerd Koster, Lorna Christopher, Andrew Ball, Lawrence Wheatley, Meade Malone, and St Clair Flemming, alongside a youth representative, Tatiana Fahie, and secretariat support from Claude Skelton Cline and David Norris.
The previous council was tasked with analysing economic issues referred to it by the Premier, advising on macroeconomic matters, and presenting recommendations to strengthen the territory’s competitiveness and growth.
Earlier this year, Opposition legislator Myron Walwyn renewed calls for the government to reintroduce such a body.
Calls to reintroduce a similar advisory body had been raised in recent months, with Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn urging the government to “get an economic council in place so that people can guide you through.”
According to Walwyn, the Public Finance Management Act mandates that there is an economic plan for the country as well as an economic council.
The re-establishment of the council represents a renewed effort to strengthen policy planning and promote fiscal stability amid ongoing economic pressures. The council’s work is expected to support evidence-based decision-making and improve economic planning across key sectors.
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It took Hon. Walwyn talking at length about this for him to finally get it done. We need to get the rid of the Premier and his gang.
For 20 plus years the same people have been rotated on every government board and for 20 plus years the Virgin Islands has remained stagnant, these people can’t even show any growth in their own business unless they are getting a check from the government treasury, and we wonder why the Virgin Islands is like a top in mud spinning but not going anywhere.
They about greed
Pressure burst pipe. Its pressure from Myron caused him to do this. It is shameful that it took him 4 years as Premier to do this. The economy of the BVI is in the worse shape ever.
Leader of the opposition most likely has the privilege to speak first, so let him do the talking; let him and Sowande talk it out.
MORE BS WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE ARE THEY REALITY BASED OR MONEY ORIENTED
The same people who are the stakeholders of self-interest who have the economy how it is. Why are we going to the polls and electing people who have to create an economic advisory board. An NDP board at that.
You all keep going to the Polls and voting base on popularity and not competence and character.
What the heck i am seeing here? Pure NDPs!
It shows only the NDP and people around the NDP is seen to have an idea of how to move the territory, but I’m still now sold.
The same people that created the problem cannot be the same people to fix the problem. We are sliding further and further down the rabbit hole. Only GOD the creator can help us now!
These people rotating roles like a washing machine. Is there no one else in the BVI that can do this work. Come on people all of these ones appointed should know when it’s time to quit. No wonder the territory is so stagnant.
Claude Skelton Cline involved.
This country is a joke.
So the Terms of reference fo Economic development have been approved but have not been made public.
SECRETS
SECRETS
What is this the next level BVI Investment Club.
VI by the Elite for the ELite controlled by the Elite marching towards Independence for Freedom for the Elite.
Shackles of $7.25 an hour wages for us and %120 wage rises for them.
All done in the new spirit of Accountability Transparancy and the utmost SECRECY.
More millionaires in the chese cabinet…Wasted money, Meade knows his stuff. He can make a difference if they would listen..Listen is their weanness, their failure, our failure..
MOSES IS A GENIUS , AND WHETHER YA’AL WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT HE HAS CAUSED HAVOC IN THE NDP BY CAPITÀLISING ON WHAT WENT DOWN WITHIN THE NDP MEMBERS BEHIND THE SCENES , HE HAS DRAWN 2 MEMBERS ( INCIDENTALLY ) WHO WERE CRITICS , NOW THEY ARE WORSHIPPING HIM , THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT, / AND NOW THEY ARE COMPLEMENTING EACHOTHER , THE SALARY INCREASE IS ANOTHER EXA OF THE ” BIG YOUTH ” IS EXPRESSING HIS BRILLIANCE ~ EVEN WITH THE ,(COI ) LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDERS , HE STILL STANDING FIRM ASHE FOES HIS THING ( AH DON’T KNOW FOR HOW LONG ) MAYBE THE ” NOTORIOUS BIG ” SAW SOMETHING WD DIDN’T SEE , AND THATS WHY HE CHOOSED HIM AS HIS RIGHT HAND MAN ( AKA ) DEPUTY
No one from the BVIs leading and award winning businesses then. Neither finance nor tourism. Not even any tokens like before. Same old same old interbred crew with a sprinkling of criminals.
NOONE FROM JOST VAN DYKE OR VIRGIN GORDA in this board!! SAD!
THE CHAIR CHIOSEN NEEDS TO TELL THE BVITB STAFF PAST AND PRESENT WHERE THEIR PENSION MONEY IS
@ what a joke…Yes there are members from the outer islands on the board!!
Nepo babies suckling on taxpayers contributions.