Premier leads delegation to Inter-VI Council Meeting in USVI
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley is set to lead a delegation of House of Assembly members and senior public officials to the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) today for the ninth meeting of the Inter-Virgin Islands Council (IVIC).
The council is the formal side to the BVI-USVI relationship and brings together the Premier of the BVI and Governor of the USVI, as well as key policymakers in their cabinets to explore ways to enhance the relations between the two territories.
Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office, Carolyn Stoutt Igwe said Premier Wheatley and Governor Albert Bryan will co-chair the IVIC and receive reports from three of 12 standing committees in areas of shared interest between the BVI and USVI.
“Three committees will make presentations, namely the Committee on Energy and Utilities, the Committee on Tourism and the Committee on Pleasure Boating and Sports Fishing,” Stoutt-Igwe said.
The BVI delegation includes Deputy Premier Kye Rymer, Minister for Health and Social Development Marlon Penn, Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Melvin Turnbull, Attorney General Dawn Smith, Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Carolyn Stoutt Igwe, Financial Secretary Jeremiah Frett, and other senior public officers.
In a press conference last month, Dr Wheatley said he was looking forward to improving the relationship between the BVI and the neighbouring USVI through the IVIC meeting and Friendship Day.
“We agreed that an Inter Virgin Islands Council meeting will take place in September in the USVI, and Friendship Day will take place in mid-October in the BVI,” the Premier added.
He said he wanted to see the respective governments cooperate in various areas that can improve both territories.
“[We] will explore greater cooperation in areas such as disaster response, maritime management, and public health. Of course, we want to see continued participation of the US Virgin Islands in our August Tuesday horse races that are so exciting,” Dr Wheatley said.
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That’s the best ah he TRAVELLING UP AND DOWN producing no results.
Who is incharge while the premier and his deputy is out of the country at the same time?
appears to be dying in the VI. Irma destroyed the race tracks on STT and STX and neither has been rebuilt. The track on Tortola is closed due to legal problems. Maybe eastern PR has a race track that withstood Fiona?
Out of those four politicians, the only two I see not further giving away the country to these USVI people are Mitch and perhaps Marlon. The premier and the other one are clueless they were there when Fahie give away our boating Industry and just went along with it. The others like Igwe, Dawn, and Jerimiah will fight for the best interest of our country. We need an election Natalio and the remains of what is called the VIP are too weak and wilful.
he needs to never come back!
It’s just one day, we will be fine.
Read your Constitution.
The moment l see any Government Official travelling , immediately l know that the naysayers are going to think they should remain at home. It is high time that people understand that Representatives are elected to do just that represent. If there is a meeting being held in Timbuktu are the Reps to sit in Tortola twiddling their thumbs and hope that someone else speak on the country’s behalf?
Do not even mention the fact that Representatives fly business class, most people get angry at that however if they themselves travel that is the very seat they book, and if you are not able to afford it, then it is what you aspire for. This is the right time in history that the good people of the BVI really start to believe in each other.
The truth is the BVl has so much potential but the crab in a barrel mentality is holding you back.