Madam Chair, Honourable Ministers and delegates,

It is my privilege to make this intervention today on behalf of Premier and Minister of Finance of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Dr. the Honourable. D. Orlando Smith, OBE. 

This week, two events will take place with the potential to impact the financial services of the BVI and I wish to speak today about how the Government is approaching these two matters.

Fellow Virgin Islanders and friends, in May of each year we take time to reflect and pay homage to  our Senior Citizens in recognition and appreciation of their invaluable contributions to our families, communities, and society.

It is a great pleasure for me, as your Governor, to hand over Certificates of Naturalisation to a total of 52 people who have made their homes here in the Virgin Islands.  Today is your day, marking a key milestone in your quest for British Citizenship.  Many of you will have harboured this ambition for years.  I hope and imagine that all of you are feeling a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in attaining this citizenship status, conferring as it does the right to carry a BVI passport and to apply for a full British passport.

Fellow Virgin Islanders and Residents, today the Virgin Islands observes the 20th annual BVI National Day of Prayer under the theme “Wake Up Caribbean”. 

Good afternoon to you the members of the media, and I thank you for being here to yet another one-on-one rapport with me.

His Excellency the Governor John S. Duncan, OBE, Deputy Governor and Chairperson of the Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday planning committee, Mrs. V. Inez  Archibald, CBE,  members of the planning committee, Postmaster General Ms. Pascha Stoutt, Director of Culture, Mrs. Luce Hodge-Smith, public officers, ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, good afternoon.

Madam Speaker, I wish to present to this Honourable House, an update on the plans for the additional year in the education system. 

Madam Speaker, I have just updated this Honourable House with where we are in strengthening our Financial Services structure. Now I would like to put things into a different perspective focusing more on the value of the BVI to the global economy. 

Madam Speaker we are all aware that BVI is home to a Financial Services Industry that is of global pre-eminence. The core of this industry is our company incorporation business which is revered the world over as it is used to facilitate a myriad of international business transactions.