BVI News

Premier announces another missed COI deadline! Trip to UK is next

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley.

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has announced that the government has missed yet another deadline for implementing governance reform recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference with Governor Daniel Pruce on Friday, August 30, just one day before the deadline date.

Dr Wheatley explained that Governor Pruce had requested an extension for the final implementation deadline from the former Overseas Territories Minister, David Rutley, moving it to August 31, 2024. The request was based on a joint agreement that additional time was needed to complete the remaining recommendations. However, the UK general election on July 4, 2024, occurred before they received a response.

Following the Labour Party’s landslide victory, Stephen Doughty was appointed as the new Overseas Territories Minister. Dr Wheatley indicated that discussions about the implementation of the COI recommendations will now need to be held with Minister Doughty.

The Premier and Governor plan to meet with Doughty in the UK on September 11.

“Some persons will be fixated on the August 31st deadline. The deadlines we set for ourselves are important. They keep us focused and give us ambitious targets that push us to achieve reform efficiently and effectively. But we must be ever mindful that we must not sacrifice the quality of reform just to meet a particular date and tick a box. For us, the work of reform is about transforming our institutions and transforming the prospects for our people. And it must be done properly, “ the Premier stated.

He emphasised that the goal is to transform institutions and improve prospects for the people of the Virgin Islands.

As of the latest update, 45 out of 48 COI recommendations have been fully completed, with three still in progress. Of the 115 actions supporting these recommendations, 112 are completed, and three are ongoing.

The remaining recommendations involve legislation that has already been introduced in the House of Assembly, with final readings scheduled by September 6.

Dr Wheatley expressed pride in the work done, particularly highlighting the collaborative efforts between the government and the Opposition to produce the best possible legislation for the Virgin Islands.

He noted that the team had worked diligently over the past three months to meet the deadline.

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39 Comments

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  1. WTF says:

    Seriously – get your f**king act together and stop wining like a little b**ch about colonialism – you are not fit to act as a premier of this country!

    Like 46
    Dislike 5
  2. OMG says:

    How hard can it be to follow a basic plan to improve this country’s governance ?

    Every single time there is a new excuse from Sl**anda Sleezy.

    Stop traveling, stop talking about independence and start fixing this territory!

    Like 32
    Dislike 2
  3. natalio says:

    he lip them always dry. get a chap stick

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
    • @natalio says:

      I know the Premier is on everyone’s chopping block including mine but he is always well dressed and groomed. Even if I don’t care for someone be it men or women and they are well dressed and groomed I will give them their props.

  4. Did not surprise none says:

    I knew the first class flying luxury hotel staying waste of time Third World Country bush man was going to F up as usual.

    Like 14
    Dislike 1
  5. Well at least says:

    This time he is not sitting under his jail bird criminal picture. Damn Premier, you are such a waste.

    Like 10
    Dislike 1
  6. Did MS says:

    Mehn…GYMS!!! Ayo keep beating this drum of self-determination yet ayo fowls caan geh ayo shiz not together! Public confidence is at an ALL TIMe LOW!!

    GYMS……

    The public playing soft wid these employees! Fire dem!

    Like 14
  7. Lost Boys Club says:

    Respectfully, HRM rep. Is weak at best and on a holiday at best. Guv. Pruce is just trying to enjoy his pre-retirement life and he realizes that doing nothing (as directed by Starmer’s minions) would o go extra slow as to not rock the boat.

    Where does that leave us? The low to middle class are desperate for change that is nowhere on the horizon. Relief? What’s that! Feels like we are doomed to perpetual stagnation and maintaining the status quo.

    Like 17
    Dislike 0
  8. SK says:

    Tic tock, tic tock…….

  9. FACIAL EXPRESSION says:

    is saying )> gov yo boi had got ah Lil carried away ,wid dem free jamz and ting / yo gotta give the brother another Lil
    bReAk . Show ah Lil
    leniency ( at least you got the rodeo dude and me ain’t had nuttin to do wid any rodeo games / it was mostly “free jamz” and ah Lil traveling here & there freQuently

  10. It seems says:

    Like this Governor is useless as well. I really don’t think the Governor gives a damn about the Territory. Seems as if he is allowing the Premier to do as he please and keep giving him a pass. I may be wrong but something is definitely going on with the Governor and the Premier.If it is, it will soon reveal itself.

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
    • @it seems says:

      Whop to the whop, whop, I feel the same way, The Governor is to soft on the Premier. What is really going on here? If you are in college and you don’t meet the requirements that is needed to graduate, what happens?

      Like 3
      Dislike 1
  11. Off script a bit says:

    This has nothing to do with the Premier. On my third glass of red and I have to say it, to the folks in D3, please don’t make a huge mistake that you may regret, don’t allow WIGGY,WIGGY AKA THE ISLAND BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN TO BE YOUR DISTRICT REP. HE WANT TO SLITHER BACK UP IN THE HOA.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
    • I agree says:

      Don’t allow Wigo to use you to get back in the HOA. He was handed Speaker of the House on a gold plated platter and CARTE BLANCHE.I have never seen Wigo out in his community with a cutlass, shovel and a garbage bag helping to clean up his community. Anyone that is vying for politics have to put in work. If you have to get down in the trenches and put in work then so be it.

  12. Guys? says:

    It’s like I want to feel pity for the Premier but I just can’t. Look at how pitiful and sad he looks in this picture guys.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  13. Shameful says:

    Stop blaming everyone for the failed implementation. You are at the helm . If you cannot do this how do you expect tomlead an independent county

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  14. Quiz says:

    When you don’t meet deadlines, it’s because you (choose one or more): a) don’t care about the issue or don’t think it’s important enough; b) don’t know how to deal with the issue ; c) don’t understand the issue or don’t want to understand it: d) had unrealistic expectations of the resources requited to meet an agreed upon deadline before the fact. At the end of the day, what any government does (anywhere) reflects its priorities. You’d think establishing and maintaining good governance of its electorate would be one of them. Not here it seems, alas. It’s hard to know at times whether to laugh at the absurdity of it all or to cry as the Territory continues to descend into further chaos fomented by decades of cronyism, corruption, and petty politics that have cost the public purse hundreds of millions with not a lot to show for it.

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
  15. Bad Temper says:

    Premier looks angry. Not in Premier League!

  16. Only know says:

    He can meet and be on time for the planes and parties but cannot follow instructions and deadlines for anything else

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
  17. My thing is this says:

    If the Premier knew he could not complete the recommendations after given many extensions he should have been honest to the people and Territory and said something. And this is the person SOME OF YOU FOOLS AKA IDIOTS AKA SLOW PEOPLE ………

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
  18. Glorious pothole nation says:

    BVI is gone down the drain…

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  19. HELP!!!! says:

    Lawd, we don’t have anymore money to waste. Can’t it be a zoom call? Tell them it’s because there was a miscalculation by twenty million and you’re cutting spending. They’ll understand . It will be another vacation on tax payers money.

    Like 5
    Dislike 1
    • @HELP!!!! says:

      Well someone better make sure he fly this time in business class and stay in a reasonably priced hotel this time around.

      Like 2
      Dislike 1
  20. It’s a wrap for the BVI says:

    They may as well elect the strays to run the Territory. All they require is food, water and shelter. Strays is loyal and will get the work done.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  21. Hater's Paradise says:

    This site is the Hater ‘paradise- haters usually get their kickback however

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  22. Eldread says:

    People of the BVI be patient, premiere Wheatley will host a few more non parties and jams that will bring peace to you, oops! I forget peter tosh say justice is what we want in order to have peace.

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  23. @@Hater’s Paradise says:

    @Hater’s Paradise was birthed and stillis the child of of the the world knowks who. . So do not try to sell us ababay mid stream thathas never belonged to nor never fitted us.

    Just keeping it real.

  24. @ @ HATERS & PARADISE says:

    Well some call him canary but your version sounds good too / he probably got a hundred names that he uses to blogg under , so now he got 2 more to add to his collection (BIG BIRD & TWEETY BIRD , and since this isn’t sesame street / he can can use ” live from the bvi

  25. ... says:

    yo respectfully all you need to do is get on the ground with the people again and fix problems one step at a time. With a couple minsters doing it too you’re already steps ahead.

    We have police pressuring the little people meanwhile the murderers are probably no where near that sort of petty action.

    If a man could go throw line tomorrow and reel in $50 of fish every day with a location to dump it lets say fisheries complex… then the amount of people waiting for illicit sales or selling their body all of that crime & burglary naturally goes down.

  26. Just another excuse to fly says:

    Hear he go again on a plane. Stay your behind home and handle the problem in Virgin Gorda that your Health Minister has find himself in.

  27. Wait... says:

    So you were waiting for response to a task that was already late. Geezzz ummmm breeee this must be cartoons

  28. Ummm HELLO says:

    This guy is an absolute i**ot. Do away with him already!

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