Trade Commission temporarily suspended
Members of the government yesterday passed the Virgin Islands Trade Commission Act (Suspensory) Act, 2023, thereby suspending the Trade Commission and the previous law which had brought it into force.
The Trade Commission has been the source of much debate in the past week, as one member of the Opposition, Marlon Penn, bemoaned Minister Smith’s delay in establishing the statutory body that many believe will improve trade, commerce and consumer spending in the territory.
It’s understood that the new bill, which has suspended the Trade Commission, was not scheduled to be passed in the House of Assembly. But after much public debate between Penn and Smith, the bill was placed on the agenda for the October 31 sitting of the House.
While rushing the bill through the House of Assembly yesterday, Minister for Financial Services, Labour, and Trade, Lorna Smith explained that the statutory body is being suspended because its establishment would have been a costly endeavour.
She pointed out that the law came into effect months before she took office, but the Trade Commission had not progressed very far by the time she took office several months later. She said this raised concerns about the viability and effectiveness of the organization.
Furthermore, she said establishing the Commission would displace some employees of the Trade Department and would cost the government significant funds. Minister Smith also pointed out that business owners did not think much of the Trade Commission when she held several meetings with them at the beginning of her tenure.
“None of the hundreds of individuals we spoke to indicated the need for the statutory body as a solution to their challenges,” Smith told the House of Assembly.
Having staged a walk-out minutes before, none of the Opposition members were present in the House of Assembly when the suspensory law was being debated. Thus, the government was able to quickly pass the law without any rebuttals.
In passing the law, Minister Smith reiterated that the suspension of the Trade Commission doesn’t mean the government won’t return to it and the three pieces of legislation it is meant to oversea.
“I want to underscore that these pieces of legislation have merit and will not be abandoned. Appropriate amendments can be made to allow the Ministry to administer all trade related legislation. Our commitment to safeguarding the rights and interests of consumers will not waiver,” Minister Smith said.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
The extra $750k for more bureaucrats is a waste. Save the money, change the law to get a system that will really work and move forward.
Get rid of Trade licenses…we want to be 1st world but practice this 3rd world control over business with a trade license.
So backwards and demeaning to business!
Governor’s assent needed for any HOA legislation to become a law. No assent, no law.
Do you think Christians or Pastors or Bishops should run for Political Office?
I am disappointed with Hon. Dr. Karl Dawson. he is an honest person. I respect him BUT I think He should not have ran for Politics because a lot of his decisions will go against the will of God.
Why did the late Hon. Ivan Dawson quit Politics?
Why did the Hon. Anghel Smith quit Politics?
Well the late Hon. Paul P. Wattley died, but do you think he would have remained in Politics?
Most will not agree with me and that’s okay but it seems like Honest, Decent people cannot remain in Politics with the activities of Politics as is.
The majority of People who run for Politics are just in it for what they can gain for themselves and care nothing about the people.
It is all about POWER. Young and old.
Many Countries across the World and Region are being warned.
BVI be careful. God is watching. People are Praying.
Politics in BVI have hit Rock Bottom all in the name of POWER.
God is the one who sets up and he who takes down. Time will tell. BVI be warned.
The counyry is breaking down before our eyes and wevare blind
Smith priorities are not the cries of the people . It is enabling cronyism
Friendism
The country going to the dogs
No BVislander or Belonger should require a discretionary Trade License to operate a non-regulated business (i.e. medical, accounting, trust cos) in their own country! This is just such a perverse situation but y’all accept as being normal. It is not normal. Why should some civil servant decide whether or not you should be allowed to take the risk to set up a business? Why should incumbent business owners be able to operate without fear of healthy competition? This situation benefits only the big families who had the wealth/might/wherewithal/connections to pioneer certain industries (for example, the lucrative opportunities afforded to cruise ship agents).
You cannot have a free-for-all in a modern country. Nothing is wrong with the Trade License system, it just needs tweaking somewhat in terms of ease of applications/renewals i.e. a proper online system and streamlined approval/renewal system. If you do not have a trade license, how will you open a bank account for your business? Some people need to think before they speak! You need the license for the bank, overseas suppliers etc. You can tell most of you have trade licenses just to bring people in on permits for a fee or otherwise. No way you can be doing legit real business and saying do away with trade licenses.
What does this department do for businesses other than tax them and restrict business activity by having otherwise excited entrepreneurs wait for them to pull out the finger and issue a license. Not good at a time in which business activity is needed.
Seems to me as though it’s only meant to keep the 1% the 1%. What value is that 70 yr old going to add to the public other than her family
You also have to hope that what ever business idea you put on an application isn’t going to be copy catted by the people within the department or their friends and family.
What a rip off
Change the name of the Trade Department rather than form an additional body and make sure it is well resourced. If Trade needs a Board of Commissioners fair enough but i think unless the Board meets weekly prominent business people should serve on statutory boards WITHOUT a stipend, maybe $1000 each board meeting but the hundreds of thousands we pay for boards that dont meet is a waste of taxpayer funds. I also strongly disagree with the apppointment of Pastor Cline as the Chairman, is he a man of the cloth or a tough business leader – yes he plays dual roles but in my mind the two are incompatible
Just another BVI government dept. that provides employment for persons that are unemployable in the private sector. Very similar to the Agriculture Dept., Customs, Immigration, Labor, etc.
I heard Cline on Tola Radio today. He sounded as if he did a Google search on what a trade department does in developing countries in the 1950s. He sounded also daft, out of his league and only interested in traveling the world on our tax dollars working out deals for himself and his friends in the name of the people of the Virgin Islands.
What are Cline’s qualifications to be a part of any board of this nature? What are Deputy Premier Luarna in the Corner’s qualifications to head a trade department? They both a fellows well met I believe in that they are both opportunistic parasites.
No surprise here.
The BVI need to move towards greater independence and ownership of its legislative process.
We are tired of being hoodwinked by the neocolonial forces. It is an hindrance to the forward movement and development of the country. What has the colonialist system done for this country in the last hundred and seventy years? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Yet here it is continuing to thwart the political, economical and sovereign progress of the country.
A country and its legislative body that is paralyzed and ineffective unless a foreign entity gives assent to a law is not a country, but an imperialist and non democratic organism, stifled by undemocratic outside forces..
This paradigm must be disposed of and new course for the future of these islands enacted.
Governor’s assent needed for any HOA legislation to become a law. No assent, no law.
That move is stagnating growth in the country . Then why do you pay poeple to sit on Boards . That is saying they are incompetent and cannot make good decisions.
The Minister has unterior motives
Personal and famiky interest
Competition in business ah wondervif me infer right based on the facts .
Ayo want independence
Let the UK come in
Whose foot is on the neck of its people … UK !!!