The first Speech from the Throne in two years emphasised the elected government’s determination to push ahead with the six broad goals laid out in the territory’s National Sustainable Development Plan.
Read to the House of Assembly on Tuesday by Governor Daniel Pruce, the hour-long address outlining the government’s legislative agenda stressed the aims of the NSDP platform that the Virgin Islands Party used to inform its campaign manifesto before winning the general election in April 2023.
Opening the new session of the HOA, the governor said that the previous, unusually long, session had seen the passage of 41 pieces of legislation during most of 2023 and the whole of 2024.
Of those, 15 were related to Commission of Inquiry recommendations and 10 were designed to bring the territory in line with reforms recommended by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.
Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley explained the long gap since the last throne speech in January 2023, telling the Beacon, “In election year, you don’t have to prorogue [the HOA].”
Environment
In a speech structured around the six overarching goals of the NSDP, Mr. Pruce started with the environment.
“Effective and responsible management of the natural environment, lands and marine resources of these Virgin Islands is extremely critical,” he said. “Several items of legislation are proposed that will balance the need to protect and preserve our natural resources whilst also using them for economic development.”
A Coastal Zone Management Bill — which appears to echo a comprehensive environmental management bill promised for about two decades but never brought to the HOA — will create a “robust” legal framework to deal with concerns such as climate change, pollution and waste management, Mr. Pruce said.
Additionally, a planned new Economic Exclusion Zone Bill will represent “a significant step in asserting and safeguarding the sovereign rights and authority of the Virgin Islands over its territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone,” according to the governor.
The speech also promised a modernised non-belonger landholding licence policy.
“The policy will emphasise a transparent, stable, predictable and investor-friendly regulatory environment that will attract investments in real estate and other innovative sectors to broaden the territory’s economic base,” he said.
Also on the way are stricter planning laws, with amendments to the Physical Planning Act 2004 that will introduce “a system of civil penalties, fines and other enforcement mechanisms to address breaches promptly and effectively,” Mr. Pruce added.
Additionally, the governor said the planned Crown Land Management Act 2024 will bring in more transparency and accountability to how such property is handled.
The economy
On the economic front, the speech promised several new laws designed to protect and strengthen the financial services and tourism sectors.
These plans include amending regulations for anti-money laundering investigations and expanding access to the register of beneficial ownership to people with a “legitimate interest,” according to the governor.
A Professional Accountants Bill, meanwhile, will overhaul regulation of the audit and accountancy industry in the territory, he said.
Another planned bill is intended to strengthen the tourism sector by formally establishing a Ministry of Tourism.
“The bill will establish the legal framework for a government department responsible for managing tourism, outlining the powers, functions and responsibilities of the Ministry of Tourism, including regulating tourism activities, developing tourism policies and overseeing tourism infrastructure development,” he said.
Additionally, the speech promised that amendments to the 2020 Gaming Control Act will see new regulations brought in “so licensing and enforcement of the law for legal operation of businesses to engage in gaming and betting activities in the territory can begin in earnest.”
The government is also planning to modernise rules governing the yachting industry.
“The core amendments will include a range of measures aimed at streamlining vessel categorisation, ensuring vessel licence integrity, promoting large yachts’ presence, strengthening registration requirements, mandating BVI charter origin, and exempting BVI vessels from cruising permits and import duties,” the governor said.
Legislation to facilitate methods of fishing using scuba equipment and spear fishing are in the works, he added.
Infrastructure, health
On infrastructure, another of the six NSDP priorities, the governor said the BVI Electricity Corporation and the Water and Sewerage Department will be merged into a single statutory corporation.
Meanwhile, a new registration framework for architects and engineers will be launched, he said, echoing a longstanding promise from previous throne speeches.
Regarding health and wellness, which is also an NSDP plank, the governor promised new legislation to crack down on tobacco products by requiring warning labels on packages, prohibiting smoking in a car with minors, and adding other rules.
In the same section of the speech, Mr. Pruce promised regulations to help guide the administration of public assistance.
“Work is ongoing with the support of a UNICEF legal expert and the Attorney General’s Chambers to finalise these regulations early in 2025,” he said.
In the interim, he added, the government proposes increasing public assistance amounts granted to vulnerable people.
Governance
New measures are also in the works to improve governance in keeping with other NSDP goals.
Among them is a plan for a new Constitution to be finalised during this House session following a first-quarter HOA debate on the report of the Constitutional Review Commission, according to the governor.
Also on the list of plans is a long-promised Human Rights Commission Bill and a Freedom of Information Bill that has been promised for more than 15 years but never brought to the HOA.
“Among its provisions will be the responsibility for public authorities to publish certain documents and information concerning, amongst other things, its functions, its decision-making powers, the categories of documents that are to be maintained, and documents that must be made available for inspection and purchase,” the governor said.
Additionally, an Elections Amendment Act will “enhance and strengthen the electoral administration process,” the governor said.
He added that the 2021 Whistleblower Act will be strengthened to increase protections for whistleblowers.
“The amendments will clarify that anyone can be reported for improper conduct, and the definition of improper conduct will be expanded to include human rights violations and unfair discrimination,” he said.
The governor also stressed the need to forge ahead with ongoing reforms stemming from the COI recommendations.
“I know the Premier’s Office will continue to support the work commenced in 2024 with amendments to the priority statutory board legislations to ensure that their good governance provisions are strengthened,” he said.
Plans to overhaul the national archives were also announced.
Law and order
Among other law-and-order plans, a Sexual Offences Bill will be introduced “to create a legal framework that is sensitive to gender issues concerning various sexual crimes and aims to reduce secondary trauma for victims,” the governor said.
The Magistrates’ Court procedures will also be amended so that people can be summoned electronically or by email, he added.
“This will provide significant benefits in terms of efficiency, accessibility and compliance,” Mr. Pruce explained. “Both delivery methods will help reduce administrative costs associated with manual processes such as printing and in-person delivery.”
‘A reasonable speech’
Opposition Ronnie Skelton did not to respond to requests for comment on the throne speech, but his opposition colleague Lorna Smith gave a mixed review.
“In terms of good governance, I thought it was pretty strong,” she said. “I thought, all in all, it was a reasonable speech.”
In other areas, however, she saw room for improvement.
“In terms of financial services, it may not have covered all the areas,” said Ms. Smith, who crossed the floor of the House in October after Mr. Wheatley fired her from her position as financial services minister. “I would like to see in 2025, for instance, what is our country’s value proposition in terms of financial services? What are we pushing?”
She added that more action on tourism is needed as well.
“I would certainly hope to see a tourism plan, as it’s necessary,” she said.
Ms. Smith was also critical of plans to merge infrastructure sectors.
“The area that struck me is the decision to merge the electricity corporation and water and sewerage,” she said. “To me it’s like putting a Rolls Royce, which would be the electricity corporation, with an old banger. I don’t think that that will work. The Water and Sewerage Department: I don’t think that it needs to be a statutory body.”
