Mr. Arnold Ainsley has been appointed Accountant General in the Treasury Department of the Government of the Virgin Islands, effective January 24 for a period of two years.

Mr. Ainsley’s appointment comes following the approval of His Excellency the Governor, Mr. John Rankin, CMG in accordance with Section 92 of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 and the advice of the Public Service Commission.

Acting Financial Secretary, Mr. Jeremiah Frett said he is pleased to have Mr. Ainsley join the Public Service as Accountant General to utilise his skillset for the further improvement of the functions and activities of the Treasury Department. Mr. Frett said that his extensive experience in the financial sector, as well as with the International Monetary Fund’s Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) will serve as a benefit in his position as Accountant General.

Mr. Ainsley holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica and an MBA in Finance from the Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom.

He is affiliated with the Certified General Accountants, Canada (CGA); Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom (FCCA); and Chartered Professional Accountants, Canada (CPA). He is also a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) with extensive experience in public financial management.

Mr. Ainsley worked as a consultant at the Treasury Department from June 2016 to July 2019 and from July 2021 to December 2021, which makes him familiar with the operations of the Treasury Department and the statutes that govern it. He was instrumental in completing the 2017 financial statements and is advanced in the completion of the 2018 and 2019 statements.

As Accountant General, he will oversee the design, development and implementation of improvements to the Government’s accounting system to ensure proper accounts are maintained, and advise the Financial Secretary on Government’s investment opportunities to ensure maximum financial returns are achieved.

He will also establish and maintain effective procedures to record the receipt and payment of all public monies to ensure audit regulations are adhered to and accurate records are available for reference, while overseeing the preparation of the annual accounts of the consolidated fund and other public funds. Mr. Ainsley will oversee the monitoring of accounts and initiate investigations, as required. Additionally, he will participate in the technical development and mentorship of succession candidates within the Treasury Department.