Gov’t agencies unite to streamline business services
The Ministry of Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation is stepping up efforts to make it easier to do business in the Virgin Islands through closer collaboration with key government departments.
The ministry is working alongside the Departments of Trade, Immigration and Labour following a consultation with industry stakeholders from retail, financial services, hospitality, and yachting. The talks aimed to identify how government services could better support businesses, particularly in terms of speed and efficiency.
Junior Minister for Financial Services and Economic Development Lorna Smith, OBE, recently chaired a high-level meeting that brought together senior officials from the collaborating departments. The focus was on how agencies could work more closely to simplify systems, solve long-standing administrative issues, and improve the overall user experience.
“This is about more than just processes; it is about transforming how we support economic growth,” Smith stated. “We are pushing for reforms that make a real difference, and recognising the dedicated staff helping to drive these improvements. The work is ongoing, but we are moving with urgency because our economic resilience depends on it”.
The ministry has recommended changes to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ model for delivering business services. Officials are also studying best practices from other British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean to guide efforts to modernise and integrate systems.
A progress update is expected in three months. The ministry said this would reflect its shared commitment to improved service delivery, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and a better overall experience for businesses in the Virgin Islands.
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This is a timely and critical initiative—one that reflects vision on the part of Hon. Smith. But vision alone is not enough. The pressing question is whether she will be met with the necessary cooperation and collaboration from her colleagues to make this a reality.
We need only look to developments in the United States to understand what is at stake. Businesses are no longer waiting—they are relocating from jurisdictions weighed down by bureaucratic overreach to those that offer clarity, speed, and transparency in doing business. And with that shift comes the loss of billions in investment, innovation, and opportunity.
The BVI must take heed. We cannot afford to be reactive in the face of a changing global environment. We must streamline our systems and remove the barriers that stifle progress. Let us not allow red tape , obselete processes , unnecessary redundancy and subjective interpetation of procedures to stand in the way of national development. If we are serious about building a resilient and competitive economy, then we must act—and we must act with urgency.
Yes! Why aren’t online payment platforms available for Labour, Passport Office, Inland Revenue, NHI and SS??
Modernize these processes to help increase the revenue for the government as well as improve the services provided to the businesses in the community.
Would be more efficient.
How about approving Starlink for use in the BVI? It would help many people who do not have access to the internet, as the local internet suppliers will not connect with fiber optic lines. Say it is too difficult.
Independent inquiry
The central administration complex in Road Town that houses No government offices. (Government Misinformation Services)