Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE is away from the Territory attending the 38th Meeting of The Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Grenada from July 4 to 6.

In the absence of the Premier, Deputy Premier and Minister of Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering will act as Premier from July 4 to July 6. 

Honourable Pickering’s appointment is in accordance with Section 55 (1) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 which states, “If the Premier is expected to be absent from the Virgin Islands for more than forty-eight hours, the Governor shall authorise the Deputy Premier to perform the functions of the office of Premier; and the Governor shall revoke this authority on the return to the Virgin Islands of the Premier.”