Throne speech outlines gov’t plans

After inspecting a police honour guard on Tuesday morning, Governor Daniel Pruce stepped into the House of Assembly to deliver the annual Speech from the Throne, outlining the government’s 2026 legislative agenda and launching a new HOA session.

Mr. Pruce started the ceremonial address by highlighting the work completed in the previous session, noting that the House deliberated on 25 bills and passed 21 of them — 18 of which have received his assent.

“Such a considerable volume of work reflects the commitment of the legislature to its constitutional responsibilities and to the development and advancement of these Virgin Islands and its people,” he said.

Then he listed the laws and policies the government aims to pass in this year’s HOA session.

Like last year, the speech closely followed the outline of the 2023 National Sustainable Development Plan, which itself is to be codified with a law that Mr. Pruce described as “one of the most impactful pieces of legislation” planned for 2026.

Of the 70-plus pieces of legislation promised Tuesday, more than 20 were previously mentioned in the 2025 Speech from the Throne, including proposed laws to boost the economy, education and governance.

But work on the lengthy new agenda got under way before the day was out.

After the governor’s speech, legislators introduced six pieces of legislation, including the long-delayed Human Rights Commission Bill and other proposed laws addressing election rules, the planned merger of water and electricity utilities, and other areas.

Economy

The throne speech — which is formally delivered by the governor each year even though it lists priorities set by the government — began with pillar three of the National Sustainable Development Plan: the economy.

Mr. Pruce said related legislation expected in the coming year includes a Tourism Development Bill; a new banking bill and banking code; a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Act; a Consumer Protection Amendment Act; Public Procurement Act amendments, and others.

He also highlighted plans for new pension legislation, which he said could come “possibly through a new pension act with a view to addressing long-term sustainability, adequacy and fiscal impact on the government’s pension scheme.”

Another “major legislative goal for 2026” is amending the Virgin Islands Deposit Insurance Act, according to the governor.

“The proposed changes include adding the Ministry of Finance to the board; making clear the corporation’s ability to borrow money from the government with ministerial approval, specifically for deposit, reinvestment or resolution; and setting formal rules for borrowing agreements and mandatory reporting to both the minister and the House of Assembly,” Mr. Pruce said. “Additional amendments aim to reinforce the deposit insurance fund with specified government contributions, which should improve financial stability and boost depositor confidence while the fund is still in its early stages.”

He also highlighted the importance of agriculture and fisheries in the territory, saying that a grants policy designed to boost the sectors had received Cabinet approval and will be launched in the coming weeks.

Infrastructure

Then he moved on to highlight items that relate to pillar four of the National Sustainable Development Plan: infrastructure.

The planned VI Development Agency Bill, for instance, intends to “transition the Recovery and Development Agency” into a “permanent structure,” he said.

“The bill will help to further strengthen the agency’s role in infrastructure development,” Mr. Pruce added. “The drafting instructions have already been submitted, and it is expected that the bill will be tabled in the House before the end of the second quarter.”

Also on the agenda, he said, are amendments to the Wickhams Cay Development Authority Act and the BVI Airports Authority Act.

Health and wellness

Other planned legislation aligns with pillar one of the National Sustainable Development Plan: health and wellness.

“The physical, mental and social well-being of the population is critical for fostering greater productivity, reducing health care costs and ensuring a higher quality of life for all citizens,” the governor said.

Amendments to regulations for food and hygiene, port health, and environmental health are all on this year’s agenda, Mr. Pruce said.

The government also plans to present a Social Protection Bill “to the public and other stakeholders for consultation during the upcoming year and anticipates that the bill will be brought to the House during this session,” he added. “The Social Protection Bill will replace the existing Public Assistance Act and establish a comprehensive and modern legislative framework for social assistance and wider social protection in the Virgin Islands.”

Education and environment For legislation aligned with pillar two of the National Sustainable Development Plan, education and learning, Mr. Pruce listed several bills and policies. Wide-ranging plans to revise the Education Act, he said, include measures aimed at “improving school and educational authority governance and accountability; strengthening child protection standards; updating the curriculum to cover STEAM subjects, digital literacy and national heritage; and establishing professional standards for educators including licensing, continuing professional development and induction.”

The governor also listed planned environmental measures including an environment and climate policy that he said “will soon be presented to the Cabinet to guide the development of the Environment and Climate Change Bill.”

A comprehensive environmental bill has been promised by successive governments for more than two decades, but one has never been brought the HOA. Other environment-related plans include a Derelict Vehicle Amendment Act and a Litter Abatement Amendment Act, Mr. Pruce said.

Government is also working on drafting a biosecurity policy.

“The policy will serve as the foundation for the Virgin Islands Biosecurity Bill, 2026, which will align with international conventions including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Plant Protection Convention, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and relevant international marine organisation standards,” he said.

Governance measures

The final section of Mr. Pruce’s speech focused on good governance, which is pillar five of the National Sustainable Development Plan. An important part of this effort, he said, is the National Sustainable Development Bill set for passage this year.

“This bill gives legal effect to the National Sustainable Development Plan, setting out the principles, institutions and processes for integrated national planning, monitoring and reporting across government; formalises medium-term development planning; and ensures that annual budgets are aligned with agreed national priorities,” he said.

Explaining that good governance also includes addressing justice, security and safety, the governor announced that a Sexual Offences Bill will be advanced in this year’s legislative session as well.

“The bill has been developed to modernise and consolidate the territory’s laws on sexual offences, replacing outdated and fragmented provisions in the criminal code and related legislation,” he said.

Revisions to immigration and passport legislation are also planned, according to Mr. Pruce.

“A bill to amend the Immigration and Passport Ordinance is entering the final stages of the legislative process and seeks to create comprehensive visa legislation, which is critical to ensuring alignment with regional and international legal standards,” he said.

Also in the works are related amendments to the Immigration and Passport Act and its regulations, according to the governor.

Info commissioner

He added that the government plans to appoint an information commissioner, thus allowing for “full implementation of the Data Protection Act, 2021, which was brought into force in July 2021.”

Additionally, he noted that the draft Freedom of Information Act, 2012, is “anticipated to be resubmitted in this session.”

Constitution

Toward the end of his speech, Mr. Pruce also highlighted plans to draft a new constitution.

“The government is in the final stages of its plans to begin negotiations with the United Kingdom government for a new constitution,” he said. “The government’s position has been outlined in the House of Assembly report on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee and will be tabled in this honourable House shortly.”

In closing, Mr. Pruce cautioned that the year’s legislative agenda is not set in stone.

“The public, of course, must be mindful … that changes in circumstances may require the government to adjust these priorities and to even take on new initiatives,” he said. “As always, the government is prepared to adjust the sails whenever this becomes necessary.”

Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn and his opposition colleagues Mitch Turnbull, Ronnie Skelton and Marlon Penn did not respond to requests for comment on the Speech from the Throne by press time yesterday afternoon.

Other business

After Mr. Pruce’s speech, the HOA got to work on its agenda.

The Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026 — which has been promised for almost two decades — was introduced and read for the first time on Tuesday.

Other bills were also introduced that day: the Mutual Legal Assistance (Tax Matters) (Amendment) No.2) Bill, 2025; the Magistrate’s Code of Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Tonnage Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation Bill, 2025.