The Government of the Virgin Islands is launching its Governance Transformation Education (GTE) campaign to raise public awareness and understanding of the vast changes resulting from the Commission of Inquiry (COI).

The changes are a result of nine major policies approved by Cabinet and fifteen pieces of legislation passed in the House of Assembly, which implement the COI's recommendations.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley, stated that “The COI was the most comprehensive and robust governance reform in the history of the Virgin Islands, and we embraced the opportunity to strengthen our systems of government and build our institutions to support its recommendations”.

Since completing passage of the last piece of legislation in September 2024, the Premier and his team have worked collaboratively with the Governor and his team to get the bills assented to, a process of due diligence involving the Attorney General Chambers, House of Assembly, Cabinet Office and the Governor’s Office.

The GTE campaign is one part of a Transition Plan the Premier presented to Overseas Territory’s, Minister Stephen Doughty, MP, during his 4-6 November 2024 visit to the Virgin Islands to make his on-the-ground assessment of the implementation of the COI recommendations.

The Plan also sets out how the Government will transition from COI to ongoing governance reform and the actions, milestones and timelines for implementation. Under the Plan, government ministries take full ownership of mainstreaming policy and legislative changes in the day-to-day operation of the government, training public officers and educating the public.

The Plan also includes a monitoring and evaluation function to allow for adjustment to policies and legislation to make sure they remain relevant to the Virgin Islands.

During the first quarter of 2025, the ongoing governance reform initiatives will be integrated with the Public Sector Transformation Programme (PSTR) focused on enhanced delivery of Government services.

During the GTE campaign, the public can expect to learn about the changes being implemented, ways in which the government will deliver on those changes, the impacts of the changes on residents, how the changed services can be accessed and where to find the relevant information.

Governance Reform Delivery Manager Kedrick Malone explained that the public will also have ongoing opportunities to provide feedback on the changes, ensuring that they are effective and efficient. 

Mr.  Malone said, “Unless the public sees and feels the value and benefits of the changes, then we would not have succeeded in transforming governance in the Virgin Islands. So, the public will have the last word, and the Governance Transformation communication campaign is designed to provide every opportunity for their feedback and engagement”.

Over the coming weeks, residents can expect to see and hear information on the various policy and legislative changes, and in the case of legislation, when they will be brought into force, a process that may require additional steps such as creating Regulations to clarify the interpretation of the laws assented to and how they will be implemented.

Information will be available from every available communication source in the Virgin Islands. The GTE campaign has been carefully designed to deliver a comprehensive communications approach, recognising the importance of reaching all demographics in real time.

The campaign  includes:

• Live televised programs featuring government officials and interactive call-ins.
• Community public meetings to foster direct engagement.
• Social media outreach to connect with diverse audiences.
• Participation in local talk shows and a door-to-door campaign for personalised interaction.

The Government strongly encourages residents to contact the Premier's Office with any questions or concerns. Public feedback is invaluable, and the Government of the Virgin Islands is committed to providing the necessary clarifications to ensure a thorough understanding of the information shared.