Public urged to complete COI reform survey before March 2 deadline

Governor Daniel Pruce is urging the public to complete the survey on Commission of Inquiry (COI) reforms before it closes on Sunday, March 2.

Launched on February 12, the survey allows residents to share their views and experiences as part of an ongoing assessment of the territory’s governance reform process.

Public input via the Governor’s Office was one of the requirements set by Overseas Territory (OT) Minister Stephen Doughty following his visit to the Virgin Islands last year. Doughty had stated that he wanted to evaluate the territory’s progress firsthand before a final decision on lifting the Order in Council is made.

The Order, imposed after a damning COI report on governance, remains under consideration despite efforts by Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley and his administration to negotiate its removal.

As recommended by Doughty, Governor Pruce will oversee a final assessment, incorporating a self-assessment from the Virgin Islands Government and public feedback gathered through the survey.

“I’m then going to discuss the conclusions with the Foreign Secretary, the government here, and the Governor to agree on next steps, and I hope this will happen in the first part of next year,” Doughty previously stated.

Meanwhile, the BVI government has announced plans to launch the Governance Transformation Education (GTE) campaign to educate the public on the COI reforms.

The campaign aims to increase awareness of nine major policies approved by Cabinet and 15 pieces of legislation passed by the House of Assembly in response to the COI recommendations. It will feature live televised programs, community meetings, social media outreach, local talk shows, and door-to-door engagement.

The reforms, initiated in January 2021 under COI Commsiioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom’s leadership, continue to shape governance in the territory, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and collaboration with the UK.