Premier proposes new ministerial posts to boost governance

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has requested the creation of two Minister of State roles and two Parliamentary Under Secretary positions to strengthen ministerial support within his government.

At a recent press conference, Dr Wheatley said he had written to the governor to seek approval for the posts.

If approved, these roles would operate within existing ministries to assist senior ministers and improve governance, particularly in vital sectors like agriculture and financial services.

“I’ve requested two ministers of state and two parliamentary undersecretaries,” Dr Wheatley said. “Ministers of state would be the more senior, using the terminology of the junior minister, that would be the more senior junior minister, and parliamentary under-secretary would be a less senior junior minister,” he explained.

He said the model follows the United Kingdom’s Westminster system, where senior ministers are supported by junior ministers within the same ministry.

Premier Wheatley said Lorna Smith, recently appointed junior minister for Financial Services and Economic Development, would fill one of the Minister of State posts if the request is approved. “Her wealth of experience and the respect she commands in the financial services industry and business community can be of best use to us as a territory by her being a member of the government,” he added.

The Premier said the current structure in the Virgin Islands is limited, allowing only ministers and junior ministers. “Only in the Virgin Islands, we are limited to ministers and junior ministers. But hopefully, we can get this changed,” he noted.

Smith was abruptly dismissed from her post as Deputy Premier and Minister for Financial Services in October 2024. Her return this month followed weeks of speculation. During the press conference, Dr Wheatley said Smith “loves public service” and had “put country above self.”

The Premier also dismissed concerns that the move was politically motivated. “This decision had nothing to do with partisan politics. It had everything to do with what we believed was good for the territory of the Virgin Islands,” he said.

In the meantime, the governor is still reviewing the Premier’s request. “He asked for me to write, and I did that,” Dr Wheatley said. The Premier promised to provide an update once the request has been assessed.