Some deadlines missed, but good progress on COI reforms — Premier
While acknowledging that his Unity Government has already missed some key deadlines concerning agreed Commission of Inquiry (COI) related reforms, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has indicated that there have been advances made so far.
“We have a few deadlines that we’ve missed but we’re making good progress,” Premier Wheatley told reporters at a press conference recently.
Premier Wheatley alluded to the quarterly reports expected to be made by Governor John Rankin assessing the government’s progress on the COI reforms agreed in the framework agreement between the BVI and UK government.
“We know that the governor soon will be giving his first report to the United Kingdom and we expect for him to be positive about the progress we’ve made but, of course, noting some of the areas where we still need to make progress,” Dr Wheatley said.
The Premier, for his part, described the reforms as a lot of hard work and said he felt the governor will recognise this as he makes his assessment.
“It’s a lot of hard work. But still, [there’s] a lot more work that needs to be done,” the Premier stated.
According to Premier Wheatley, the territory also needs to pursue additional reforms outside of the agreed COI-related agreement to improve the performance of its institutions.
“It’s important to say that overall, we need to go through a process of reform to make sure we’re able to deliver public services in a more efficient and more effective manner than we have done in the past,” the Premier said. “We’re looking to reform all of our institutions to make them more efficient, more effective, more community based and community driven.”
Dr Wheatley further noted that attempts were also being made to give better value for money to taxpayers in the territory.
Some of the agreed reforms that have already been put in motion include various governor-recommended audits and investigations; improved legislation about public officials’ interests; statutory board reviews and reconstitution; reformation of the territory’s assistance grants system and measures aimed at achieving constitutional reform.
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Just want to make life hard for the people. Half of those reforms wouldn’t have been necessary if the Governor and the Law enforcement arm had done what they were supposed to do instead of allowing it to fester on to a point of no return. Some of the appointments especially from the airport board should not have been allowed.
Don’t talk about the chairman of the scholarship board the very thought makes you sick what was Andrew and the VIP Government thinking?
But it’s the people that will suffer because politicians don’t answer to the law in the BVI. They do wrong and get government properties get named after them.
but the Guv writes this quarterly report NOT the Premier. Perhaps the Gov’s office will release tomorrow’s report next week so the public can compare today’s comments with what the UK is reading in London.
What will he say on ‘some deadlines missed’…you should not be missing a single deadline at this stage!
Maybe Natalio needs to stay at home and look after his business instead of jumping on a plane every week for God knows what racking up frequent flier miles.
I don’t know if u people of the BVI cant realise up to now that this boy is not a leader,he is totally out of it.He is a.l**r and just cant.be trusted.
He is addicted to flying first class and staying in luxury hotels.
Perhaps the Premier should have consulted the before putting pen to paper. The deadlines are impossible. Over promised and under delivered.
The COI is BS. How can any reasonable person expect government to comply by the deadlines and still focus on the other stuff that they were elected to do and the other stuff that they need to do. The COI mandates although required for transparency and good governance aren’t necessities and do not affect our everyday life. While 100% of the focus is on fulfilling the COI requirements, we have roads, schools and an economy to fix. I personally would have preferred a COI that provided solutions for fixing the roads permanently, finding alternate sources to generate revenue, a partnership agreement to train our police and civil servants. Bringing in UK prison guards and police until both depts. are cleansed of corruption. There is a lot more the UK could have done to help the BVI which would have been appreciated instead of trying to rule with an iron fist.