The Ministry of Finance invites applications for the positions of Chairperson and Independent Member of the Internal Audit Advisory Committee. These roles are vital in ensuring the effectiveness and integrity of internal audits within public authorities, in line with the Public Finance Management Act.

I am pleased to confirm the remaining audits completed as part of the Commission of Inquiry were laid in the House of Assembly on 3^rd September and are now publicly accessible on www.auditbvi.com. These audits, relating to COVID-19 assistance grants and government contracts over $100k, include:

The Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital has secured re-accreditation for another three years from the DNV-GL (DET Norske Veritas from Norway and Germanischer Lloyd) from Germany.

The Audit of Covid-19 Assistance Grants made by Members of the House of Assembly was laid in the House on 13 July.

As people in the BVI are aware, the House of Assembly convened yesterday following the findings of the Audit Report and Addendum on the Fast Track Residency and Belongership Programme.

The audit on Assistance Grants has now been tabled and discussed in the House of Assembly, and is now available to the public with appropriate redactions. The audit was conducted in response to Commission of Inquiry Recommendation B12, and covered Assistance Grants issued between January 2019 and May 2022.

In my Quarterly Review two weeks ago I referred to the Audits received from the Auditor General, including the Report on Government Contracts with EZ Shipping concerning the provision of barges and the Report on Government Contracts with Claude Skelton Cline.

The Unity Government of the Virgin Islands has amended the Audit Act 2003 and the Service Commission Regulations which now makes the obstruction of audit functions a criminal offence.

The Government of the Virgin Islands continues to bring forward and support major change to legislation in the spirit of cooperation, good governance, and transparency and in the best interest of the Territory.

Ensuring a Transparent Process International law firm retained for BVI Commission of Inquiry