Mr. Speaker - As this Honourable House is aware, on 19th January, 2021 the former Governor, His Excellency Augustus Jaspert, appointed a Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, to hold a Commission of Inquiry, to inquire into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty in relation to officials whether statutory, elected or public, “… may have taken place in recent years.”

I extend greetings to everyone in the Virgin Islands, the Region and the World. COVID-19 was declared a GLOBAL PANDEMIC on March 11, 2020.

His Excellency, the Governor Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG, chaired the Meeting held on 24th February, 2021, which was held at the Financial Services Commission’s Conference Room.

It is my pleasure to provide a brief report on the British Virgin Islands implementation of the Santiago Commitment.

First, I am pleased to inform you that active cases of COVID-19 in the British Virgin Islands are down to zero as of 18^th February 2021. This is the result of robust entry and health protocols and their enforcement by the health authorities and local places of business on our islands. We have now entered the vaccination phase of our health response which is in the early stage of rollout.

On January 19, 2021 the former Governor, His Excellency Augustus J. U. Jaspert, appointed Sir Gary Hickinbottom, to hold a Commission of Inquiry (COI), to inquire into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty in relation to officials, whether statutory, elected or public, “… may have taken place in recent years.”

Good morning church. I bring greetings to the leadership, members and friends here at the Upper Room Victory Church. World Cancer Day, this year, was observed on February 4^th under the theme 'I Am and I Will.' 

His Excellency, the Governor Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG, chaired the Meeting held on 17th February, 2021.....

The BVI Ports Authority wishes to inform the public that the 1st March, 2021 reopening of the Road Town Jetty to incoming visitors has been deferred to 15th April, 2021 for the following reasons:

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions advises the public that the office will not accept written requests for ongoing criminal matters to be discontinued from any virtual complainant or witness.  If there are concerns about the case, virtual complainants and witnesses should report those to the law enforcement officers in charge of investigating their cases. 

Today it gives me great pleasure to stand here before you at this official launch of the Virgin Islands Trade Commission, which will be a statutory agency established under the Virgin Islands Trade Commission Act, 2020.