Good morning! It is a real pleasure to be here today.

Pelagic sargassum is a brown alga, or seaweed that floats free in the ocean and never attaches to the ocean floor. These free-floating forms are only found in the Atlantic Ocean. Sargassum provides refuge for migratory species and essential habitat for some 120 species of fish and more than 120 species of invertebrates.  It’s an important nursery habitat that provides shelter and food for endangered species such as sea turtles and for commercially important species of fish such as tunas. There are two species of sargassum involved in the sargassum influx: Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans.

World Teachers' Day, held annually on October 5 since 1994, commemorates teachers’ organisations worldwide. Its aim is to mobilise support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers. As the Minister responsible for Education, I offer sincere thanks to all our teachers here in the Virgin Islands and assure you that the Ministry is working steadfastly to ensure you are provided with the resources you need to deliver the quality education standards we have established in the Territory.

Managing director of the Social Security Board, Mrs. Antoinette Skelton, Deputy Director with responsibility for National Health Insurance, Mr. Roy Barry, Deputy Director Mrs. Jeanette Scatliffe Boynes, members of the National Health Insurance team, Staff and Members of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, CEO of JIPA Network Dr. Kester Nedd and members of the JIPA Network Team, Private Health providers, members of the Media, Everyone good morning. 

The Virgin Islands is in a reset mode and certainly telecommunications plays one of the most crucial roles, in ensuring, that we can achieve a higher standard of living for our people.

Fellow BVIslanders, another year has passed since we last observed Pesticides Awareness Week. Safe chemical management ought not to be an event we remember once a year, but practice all year round. Safety first must be a way of life. We must make the protection of human health and the environment the absolute priority in pests and diseases management decisions.

I am delighted that we are able to host this year’s Caribbean Postal Union Conference, and be the venue at which the future of the Postal Service in the Caribbean region, can be discussed and planned. 

The sport of horse racing has been a part of the fabric of this community for many years. We have seen it grow from horses racing on unprepared grounds to what we have today at the Ellis Thomas Downs. There is no doubt that it has become a part of our culture.

Ladies and Gentlemen good morning;

It is my pleasure to bring opening remarks at this very important workshop on Business Recovery Operations.  

Madame Speaker in April of last year when the Social Security (Amendment) Act, 2014 was debated and passed I addressed this Honourable House on the subject of Universal Health Coverage.  This amendment laid the foundation for a National Health Insurance System in the Virgin Islands.