Premier: ‘Migration’ key to economic and population growth
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has emphasised that economic growth in the Virgin Islands is directly tied to population growth, which will largely depend on migration.
During a press conference on Tuesday, November 26, Dr Wheatley explained that clear policies are needed, particularly through the new Labour Management System (LMS), to support this goal.
“If you’re going to grow the population and you want to be able to attract investment, you have to have the policies in place to make that a reality,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He also pointed to the territory’s limited workforce, stressing that other regions like Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands had successfully grown their populations by enhancing their tourism sectors.
“We know that we have a limited workforce here and with the growth that we anticipate in our economy in the area of tourism, we have more visitors here then we’re going to need more people to facilitate them,” he said.
The Premier explained that with fewer births in the territory, migration will be key to addressing population needs. “If you want to grow your population it’s going to be through migration,” Wheatley added. “Our population has to increase to accommodate the growth of our economy and everybody needs to accept that.”
He also addressed concerns about hiring delays, saying, “It can’t take six, seven weeks for somebody to get hired, that’s not going to work.”
The LMS, launched in July 2024, fully digitises the work permit renewal process. The system, which aims to significantly reduce approval times from months to just a few weeks, is designed to improve access for both employers and job seekers.
With roughly 60 percent of the territory’s workforce relying on work permits, the LMS will help streamline the process and facilitate the hiring needed to support the growing economy.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
This rush to growth, growth, has brought us to a point where crime is out of control, more societal woes to pay for. It becomes a vicious cycle. When is enough, ever enough? With a small population, people are crying out for basic infrastructure services. Please focus on improving the quality of life for a small population before you look to grow the population to a level that is not sustainable.
What did the Premier say? Migration key to economic and population growth. Well if that’s what he said it is a true and intelligent statement. However that narrative is not embrace by government or the BVI populace. They hate immigrants. Our Caribbean brothers and sisters living here are treated like subhumans. Why don’t we have foreign investments? Because the populace are afraid to let foreign businesses in. Well Mr. Premier if the statement that you made is truly from your heart and you believe what you said, “then educate your people to the benefits of migration and foreign investors. We cannot continue to live in isolation being afraid of letting people in, which includes investors. To continue like this means that the Virgin Islands end up behind the 8th ball. Natalio get in action to expand the Virgin Isands economy and improve our infrastructure.
A limited, stagnant and limited view at best, Bishop.
The thinking must be growth by all means, but with stringent controls.
EV
Natalio Wheatley you dont have the last say on this.
Oh Migration is the key now…..smh we only good when its beneficial to yal, once the mission accomplished or the numbers are met is right back to spitting in our face. Time longer than twine.
That’s a very muddy one to traverse Premier. What will we be giving away and sacrificing in return, our identy,financial and other resources? Do think throutgh this very carefully.
A way of life has already been halted and emasculated. Eyes are now set on our most important institutions, Finance, security, banking and the local mind.
The most sensible thing said in a long time. The problem is that most people here only understand emotions, not strategy or economics.
Not enough jobs opportunities for people to migrate to the BVI.
What B*ll Sh*t I hearing here. BVI don’t have jobs for it’s citizens and you want to bring more so you can get the work permit money to waste. So many youths not working and you don’t care you don’t even see the need for attracting investment to the island so more of our people can be gainfully employed. This is disgraceful when we have such short sighted leadership. What about people with college degrees bachelors and masters that can’t get work not even the high school students getting work. That’s why we so much crime in the island when the youths feel they have no one to look out for them.
Why are they not working? Take a deep look at the issues and you will understand.
Absolutely no reason a work permit should take 3 weeks or more to process. Too many vindictive people working there who willing bury or lose permits and make folks needlessly jump through hoops.
Is this man serious, how big is Tortola. It is overcrowded and crime is out of control. This is unbelievable
Natalio, don’t mind the stupid talk that the BVI consumer population is too small-nonsense. That is abstract nonsense. The key to economic growth is getting the dollar to circulate through your economy multiple times.
Some of these people send their money home. Some of them don’t even want to pay their rent or tax on money gram money. The BVI did not become an economic powerhouse in the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s by having a large population.
No, it did so by economically empowering and educating its people to make money. Free your mind of the garbage. Spend and circulate the dollar.