We have elevated the way we govern — Premier

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said the government completed robust reforms that fundamentally transformed the territory’s governance.

In his recent budget speech, Dr Wheatley highlighted the completion of the legislative agenda that addressed the 48 recommendations from the 2022 Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.

“This was no box-ticking exercise. It was the most comprehensive and robust governance reform in the history of the Virgin Islands and has fundamentally elevated the way we govern ourselves,” the Premier stated.

He stressed that the reforms have overhauled the integrity structure for full transparency, made statutory bodies more accountable, revamped the social assistance system, restructured Crown land management, strengthened immigration controls, and increased accountability of elected representatives.

The Premier also noted that the government is collaborating with the Governor to finalise assent to the various pieces of legislation. Five of the 15 Bills have already been assented to. The remaining are expected by year-end. He expressed optimism that a recent meeting with Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty would lead to decisions relieving the territory from the Order in Council.

Concerns about transparency

However, opposition members have raised concerns about the government’s transparency and handling of audit reports. A recent audit revealed that over $1.7 million in COVID-19 relief grants were issued without Cabinet approval during the government’s MSME Grant Programme several years ago, raising serious concerns about transparency and proper financial management.

An audit of the Public Assistance Grants issued between January 2019 and May 2022 found that the programme lacked clearly defined policy objectives and rules and operated outside any financial rules for public expenditure. The report likened the scheme to an “unorganised welfare programme” that lacks basic tenets of good governance.

Meanwhile, Governor Daniel Pruce has also highlighted concerns from the COI audits, noting issues with transparency, eligibility, and overspending in various programmes. He emphasised the importance of learning from these reports to improve governance systems.

“While some of the programmes’ operated as intended’ and ‘served to alleviate some of the costs associated with the COVID-19 fallout,’ the audits also identified a number of concerns including on transparency, eligibility and overspends,” the Governor stated in a press release from his office several weeks ago.

“The Public Assistance (Amendment) Act 2024 seeks to introduce a modern and effective system for supporting those in need. There have been improvements in the way government contracts are issued, and procurements are now regularly advertised,” the press release added.