Madam Speaker, the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority, by board resolution in November of 2019, decided to register a company in Miami, Florida.
The purpose of that company, named the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) LLC, was to enable the BVI Ports Authority to rent office space in the Miami area to provide an outreach location for its cruise business. In addition, it was decided that the office space could also host the BVI Tourist Board and the BVI Shipping Registry.

The BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) continues to make significant strides as it relates to the Territory’s clean energy transition to utilizing more renewable energy.

In January 2021, BVIEC was successful in obtaining a grant from the Canadian Support to the Energy Sector in the Caribbean (CSES-S) Fund, being administered by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for technical assistance in supporting BVIEC with project preparation of a Climate Resilient Energy Infrastructure Project in the Paraquita Bay area, aimed at improving the resilience of the Territory’s national transmission grid infrastructure by placing the sole portion of BVIEC’s transmission network underground, and adding a Renewable Energy Generation and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities.

As most of us should be aware, the Waste Water Treatment Plant at Burt Point suffered substantial damage during the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was eventually inoperable at a later point thereafter.

Madam Speaker, I wish to report to this Honourable House on two recent initiatives aimed at improving trade and commerce within the region, and which I was fortunate to be a part of, representing the Virgin Islands.

Madame Speaker, 21 October is a significant day in the Virgin Islands.

On that day, 50 years ago in 1972, the first observance of BVI/USVI (British Virgin Islands/United States Virgin Islands) Friendship Day was held here, specifically on Tortola.

Madam Speaker, last Friday, 21 October, 2022, the Virgin Islands witnessed yet another senseless, reckless and outright despicable act of gun violence, which resulted in the loss of two lives and injuries to two other persons in Fat Hog’s Bay. The deceased are Kawa Cornwall, aged 38, of Long Bush, and Kadeem E. Frett, 28, of Long Look. The incident took place shortly after 8:30 pm in a very busy and crowded area in Fat Hog’s Bay.

Madam Speaker,

I would like to update this Honourable House on national and political developments in the United Kingdom (UK) that we here the Virgin Islands must pay close attention to as a British Overseas Territory (BOT).

Today, we collectively express our deepest sympathies and regret on the passing of the Registrar General of the Civil Registry and Passport Office, Mrs. Stephanie Benn.

On the 4th October I was pleased to publish the first Quarterly Review of the Framework for Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry Report and Other Reforms which was agreed between the UK and Government of National Unity.  The Quarterly Review is a key part of the process for monitoring the implementation of the COI recommendations. 

People of the Virgin Islands, I greet you heartily on this Heroes and Foreparents Day. This holiday was conceived as a means of recognizing outstanding Virgin Islanders for their contribution to our society.  As we reflect on the findings of the commission of inquiry and seek to improve areas of governance where we have identified weaknesses, it is important to remember that we have also made tremendous progress.