Financial Services introduced among ministerial assignments
The government has moved to introduce a Financial Services Ministry with the assignment of ministerial portfolios after the recent swearing-in of government ministers last week.
A recent government release revealed that newly elected Deputy Premier, Lorna Smith, OBE, is now expected to serve as Minister of Financial Services, Labour and Trade, which is a newly created portfolio.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, who retains the portfolio of Minister of Finance, indicated that the development of the Financial Services, Labour and Trade Ministry is in alignment with his government’s strategic position to fully harness the economic potential of the territory.
The government also introduced the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment where Dr Wheatley will serve as portfolio minister.
Among the subject areas announced as being under the Deputy Premier’s portfolio are banking (includes the National Bank of the Virgin Islands), Companies, Consumer Affairs, Economic Planning, e-Government and Financial Services.
Smith is also expected to oversee Human Resource Planning, Insurance, Investment Promotion, Labour, Science and Technology (including digital transformation), Statistics, Trade and Business (including licences), Trusts and Workforce Development.
Premier Wheatley commented: “As a territory, we have engaged in a series of serious discussions about creating a new ministry that focuses more keenly on one of the two main pillars of our economy.”
Since the Deputy Premier has such a wealth of experience and is going to bring to bear her expertise in this area in a more direct way, Premier Wheatley said his government has determined that now is the opportune time to take this important step in the formation of this new ministry.
In the meantime, the other ministerial assignments that were announced include the return of Kye Rymer as Minister for Communications and Works and Sharie de Castro as Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports.
Vincent Wheatley will now take up the role of Minister for Health and Social Development. This follows his stint as Labour Minister in the previous Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration.
For the two newly elected VIP representatives, Luce Hodge Smith will serve as Junior Minister in the area of Culture and Tourism, while Dr Karl Dawson will serve as Junior Minister in the area of Agriculture and Fisheries.
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Nice. Let’s move forward together.
Well, she couldn’t get Finance so she decided she want financial services. Who in the financial services industry respects her at this point? I do not know.
I DONE SEE A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
Now with Lorna in our corner maybe we can get rid of those nasty public service people in Labour and remind them of why they are there. To Serve Us! Not to hinder! Good for the country. Bye Bye Ms.G!
Everybody smiling except Kye. I know he ain’t happy about having to give up his deputy premier post to the traitor.
sounds good. I’m willing to be the other side couldn’t have come up with this.
KYE VEX
Natural Resources are considered so insignificant that we don’t have anyone in charge of them anymore?
Did nobody get the memo that we
a) need nature to be healthy so we can survive as human beings (yes, whether we are generational BVIslanders or not, whether we are black, white, Philippino or what ever, we are actually all the same race, the human race).
b) the reason tourists come here is because of our natural environment.
c) we do not have the moral right to destroy our inherited lands and seas or to sell them for cash money now. We have a duty of care to leave them fr our grandchildren and beyond.
Does this signal an anti nature government? Airport, over fishing, coastal destruction, toxic garbage burning, dredging sea bed, etc etc etc?
Sowande, please explain.
Should have left the former labour minister out and give Dawson the ministry.
Because mt friend Kye is not skinning his teeth, does not mean he is not smiling. Look at him well.
He is not one to skin his teeth, if you look at his pictures even when he was appointed Deputy Premier, the man hard has a smile showing his teeth.
If you ask me, I would say, they way they were able to organize themselves, and given these portfolios is a clear indication that they are seriously ready to work and well organized, unlike our friends now on the other side. Imagine 4 premiers on the other side with no portfolio, (Shame)
Let VIP strive. They understand what it means to serve this beautiful Virgin Islands. Thank God, Kye didn’t say Deputy Premier or nothing. God bless team VIP and God bless this BVI.
Well that’s a travesty if I have ever seen one.
I mean why did that seems like a good fit or an idea worth pursuing?
Poor health in this country!
With this new ministry, are you saying that person must know something about Financial Services.?
No confidence how?
I agree to a point Reality,
The former labor guy should be a junior minister for culture only – until he can be gotten rid of.
Luce junior minister for Labor and Immigration (combined)
Dawson full minister for Health and social development
Lorna for Industry (Financial services, Tourism and Agriculture/fisheries)
So if someone comes with a wealth of experience in landscaping, we will change it to Agriculture fisheries and landscaping? Foolishness
First MISTAKE!