Madame Speaker, members of the House of Assembly, invited guests in the gallery, those listening via the airwaves and online, good morning.

Madame Speaker, immediately following the passage of Hurricane Irma, on September 11 I held a meeting with the Territory’s insurance providers and one with the Territory’s banks at the NEOC, which was at the hospital at that time. In that meeting, insurance companies assured the Government that they are ready to address claims and I was surprised that two companies had already started their claims process during those very uncertain days.   I also received assurances that their re-insurers were prepared to pay out claims. 

Madam Speaker, two days after Hurricane Irma struck the British Virgin Islands, the Ministry of Communications and Works engaged its Special Projects Unit to implement emergency protocols for the Water and Sewerage Department. 

Madam Speaker, as I present this Statement on The Restoration of Electricity in the Territory, I must begin by highly commending the team at the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation BVIEC, for their efforts so far, which is nothing short of heroic.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to provide you with an update on financial services in this post Irma period.

Madam Speaker thanks for the opportunity to make this statement on Tourism.

Madam Speaker, whatever our yardstick, the month of September 2017 will long live in the annals of our history. No person has been untouched by the passages of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.  We each remember them in our own way and have prepared and responded to the aftermath as best we could.  

Madame Speaker, as a Territory we have just experienced the most devastating hurricane ever seen in our region. It has negatively impacted our lives but there are positive things that arise from this situation as well. In the words of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, "you never want a serious crisis to go to waste". This crisis provides an opportunity for us to correct some things and we must seize the opportunities.