Virgin Islanders, ladies and gentlemen, as your Governor I wanted to speak to you today about an important issue.

But before doing so, I also wanted to mention that as many of you will know; last week I had an audience with Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty was pleased to receive the gift of salt from Salt Island prepared by Calvin “Jandy” Smith and Lethelma Thomas. Her Majesty takes a keen interest in all her Overseas Territories and it was an opportunity to recall the Islanders’ willingness to help others that so impressed Queen Victoria, a tradition that continues today through the many Virgin Islands groups such as the Rotary Clubs, Lions, Family Support Network, Visar and many others.

Madame Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to share with this Honourable House an update on our scholarships for students who are differently-abled. Madame Speaker in March 2014, I informed this Honourable House of an initiative of the Ministry of Education to offer two scholarships per year to assist students with special needs to seek secondary education outside the Territory.

Thank you Madame Speaker for giving me the opportunity to make a brief statement on ongoing works to refurbish a number of recreational facilities in the Territory. As a Ministry Madame Speaker we recognize the importance of having the right social environment for the youth of the Territory. 

Madame Speaker, I am pleased to introduce to this Honourable House the Ministry of Education and Culture’s (MEC) Apprenticeship Programme - another initiative to help our young people find employment. As you are aware the Ministry of Education and Culture has made the employment of youth a top priority since 2012 when the Youth Employment Services (YES) was established.

Madam Speaker, during the last sitting of this Honourable House, I provided a comprehensive update, on the Government’s plans, to improve the quality of the road network throughout the Territory.

It is quite evident and I am pleased to report, Madam Speaker, that, significant progress has been made since then, as we continue to design and execute works, on Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to report to this Honourable House today, that significant progress is being made to improve the stability of the Territory’s electricity supply.

The Government recently signed an agreement to undertake Phase V of the BVI Electricity Corporation’s Power Development Plan.

Madam Speaker, the physical landscape of Wickham’s Cay 1, is being transformed in a very significant way right before our very eyes, with the construction of the expanded Cruise Ship Pier and Landside Development.

By the end of this year, 2015, Madam Speaker, every Virgin Islander and visitor to these islands, will be extremely proud, of what the Government has been able to accomplish with this project.

Madam Speaker,

With your kind permission, I wish to make a statement on a study which my Government undertook in relation to our financial services sector. 

Much of what I say here is largely outlined in the foreword of the report entitled “Building on a Thriving and Sustainable Financial Services Sector”.

One simple lesson from history is that when people come together to talk, to exchange ideas and to develop common goals, wonderful things can happen.  So many of the world's greatest technological and industrial achievements have begun as partnerships between families, countries, and even continents.  But, as we are often reminded, the opposite can also be true.  When common goals fall apart, so does the exchange of ideas.  And if people no longer trust or understand each other, the talking will soon stop too.

REMARKS – 2015 EDUCATION WEEK OPENING CEREMONY
MINISTER OF EDUCATION & CULTURE, MYRON V. WALWYN
Sunday, March 08, 2015 – Central Admin Complex, Road Town, Tortola