Gov’t to resume publicising Cabinet decisions for greater transparency
Amid the Commission of Inquiry (COI) underway in the BVI, the government announced that it will resume the publishing of Cabinet decisions as it aims to promote transparency and accountability.
The first of these decisions will be published on February 11, 2021 and will cover the period of decisions taken from the Cabinet’s first meeting held on January 7 this year.
Cabinet comprises the territory’s governor, the Premier, government ministers, the attorney general, and the Cabinet secretary who heads the group.
The step was taken to publicise decisions made in Cabinet meetings back in 2018, after a number of calls from then-Opposition Leader, Andrew Fahie.
However, in February 2020 — a year after taking office — the Fahie administration abruptly stopped publishing the Cabinet decisions. There were calls from the current parliamentary Opposition for the publication of these decisions to resume, but still they remained unpublished.
Government’s explanation
In a statement on the government’s official website, Cabinet explained that the COVID-19 crisis was the reason the publishing of the statements were halted.
“In 2020, the number of Cabinet meetings dramatically increased to 94, compared to 42 held in 2019. This was due to the government’s shift to urgently provide the necessary strategic response to the declaration by the World Health Organisation that COVID-19 had been characterised as a pandemic,” the statement said.
The statement further said that despite the halt in government’s post-Cabinet statements, the majority of Cabinet decisions made in 2020 were made public as part of government’s COVID-19 updates.
“Additionally, the Premier and Minister of Finance and ministers made statements in the House of Assembly based on COVID-19 related and unrelated Cabinet decisions; thereby maintaining government’s commitment to being accountable and transparent,” the statement explained.
The statement also said, going forward, the publishing of Cabinet decisions will be “strictly observed as much as possible”. It also said outstanding publications will be released in short order.
Other means of communication
Cabinet said the public should note that publishing its decisions aren’t the only means by which matters of territorial significance will continue to be communicated.
It said the government will continue to use all available means of mass communication to ensure residents and visitors are informed at all times.
The following guidelines will be observed when publishing Cabinet decisions:
• Cabinet decisions will be published by the Cabinet Office following confirmation of the minutes.
• Only a summary of the decisions will be published.
• Cabinet discussions will not be disclosed.
• Cabinet decisions of a sensitive nature, matters of national security, those in breach of regional or international conventions and those relating to personal privacy will not be disclosed.
• Cabinet decisions will be published in the Virgin Islands Official Gazette every Thursday at www.eservices.gov.vg/gazette and on Twitter.
The Cabinet meets every Wednesday and is supported by the Cabinet Office, which facilitates and monitors the implementation of executive decision-making within the government.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Such hogwash. We saw the minutes of other countries all during COVID. Do we need to replace the Cabinet Secretary? Why start from January 2021? Bring out all for 2020. This is public information; not the Government’s private notes. Bring them all out.
Who is capable of writing that much and being accurate. The main reason it’s not done and hasn’t been done is that there is no one with the capacity to write a summary.
This is why THE PEOPLE PAY for a Cabinet Secretary
What about the whistleblower law we were promised?
Premier Andrew Fahie Do you think this is going to help you? You are doing a lot of back pledging to try and save yourself but it might be too late.
This is what children do, like when they get caught with their hands in the cookie jar…
More deceptive stories. A lot of ridiculous things were done during the initial covid period. A lot of cronies got a lot of things approved through cabinet and if the decisions were not made public we would never know.
Andrew Fahie made us believe that the last government were the devil. That they were not being transparent and they were stealing our money. Look here now. He is the one who has not been transparent. The NDP were the ones who made cabinet decisions public and rather than building in this and deliver all the other things he promised he took away the transparency we had and did not implement the other laws he promised. Now because of the COI he will rush to do them to get back in the UK good book.
BVI get rid of this man.
A study of British history will explain who the Brits really are! They don’t play and they don’t compromise the Constitution. They know full well what they are doing and they’re going back many years in their inquiry, totally unaffected by words. Follow the money and the documents from all over the world. There’s far more than the BVI involved. Sit back, relax, and watch the show. We are rooting for the beautiful BVI. BVI will be better than ever. Many countries are under the same stress. Don’t worry what is spoken about BVI. Just move forward and make it great for your families and everyone!!! God Wins. You will win BVI. We love you! No one is ashamed of you. You have not been smeared, but the BVI has and that will be turned around by the people soon enough.
Tell us who exactly got the handouts. Where exactly did the SS money go?
now you talking….that’s what I wanna know….
Why not publish the missed Cabinet sessions then if you are so transparent? This man think everybody stupid but he will learn real fast.
We gotta make noise till they do
So let me get this straight without falling from my chair with laughter. In a whole year the govt of the BVI could not find 2 competent people to write 94 one page summaries of the cabinet meetings? Only thing I want to know is why don’t these people have any shame? All they do is lie and lie and lie.
COI please hurry up so that we can be rid of these lying clowns
we know this was implemented by the UK
who are you trying to fool?
We want to see ALL missing Cabinet Papers please. Don’t start from 2021 only. You all made some questionable decisions and we want to see. Bring them forward.
Stop taking us for fools!
We also want to know about the back door deals
Andrew Fahie We the people of the BVI can see right through you, You are so transparent it’s not funny. All of a sudden you are doing things to make you and your government look good but it’s too late for you. You said you want to change some of the laws in the BVI, We are an OT of the UK when are you going to get it through your head that you are not KING OF THE BVI. The more you talk is the more the UK is listening Wake up and pack your bags.
to late. UK on to you
It would be nice if the public was included in some of the decision making and not just made aware after the fact.
Premier do not mind the same two people blogging negative against you all day because there are more of us with you than against you and your Government.