In the BVI some things must be sacred cows and given due respect by both sides of the Honourable House.
Financial Services is one of them. And this week we lost the Tsar of BVI Financial Services, Dr Robert A Mathavious OBE. Our condolences to his family and to all BVI.
Fittingly, the House of Assembly spent some time on Tuesday to place into perspective, the contributions made to the economic development of the Territory by Robert. He is already missed.
The other sacred cow is the Constitution of the Virgin Islands. It must be protected with life and limb by the guardians of the Territory, the 13, and respected, totally, by the people.
If we do not protect our sacred cows regardless of the seating positions in the House, BVI will forever be starting over its journey, in instances, without the financial resources to propel us forward.
And it must be borne in mind that investors come to our shores partly because we are already an attractive jurisdiction but that is based on the level of government participation in the economy, the education, sophistication, skills and exposure of the people and level of sustainable development in place.
It is a prevarication, a lie, that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The 13 are getting a second chance. For them, lightning is about to strike twice in the same spot.
We have listened to their performance in the past where, for the sake of party, power and prominence, and under the guise of following the rules, they almost compromised ‘the sacred cows.’
We know that there is genuine regret for we have heard the subsequent discussions in the House and elsewhere. So, we expect, going forward, bullish protection of our ‘sacred cows’ by ALL.
The people also have a role. They must let their voices and actions be counted and ensure that the representatives are not engaged on frolics of their own but that they are acting in the interests of the collective; “We the people.”
A new constitution for the Territory is years overdue. It was never for COI Commissioner, The Rt Hon Sir Gary Hickinbottom, in his recommendation A2 to request “…an early and speedy review of the constitution…” for it was further delayed by the very COI over which he presided.
We had become accustomed to having a review of the Constitution about once every decade, so when on 19 January 2021 Hickinbottom was appointed ‘as a sole Commissioner’ for the COI, we were already 3 years overdue.
Still, we were grateful when in January of 2022, Mrs Lisa Penn-Lettsome was appointed Chairman of the BVI Constitutional Commission with 10 Commissioners (later 15) to assist her. It was, in the words of the late Bertrand Lettsome, “a red-letter day for the Territory.”
Her credentials for the job were impeccable. She had already served the BVI as Deputy Registrar of the High Court, Registrar of Companies; Additional Magistrate, Deputy Director of the Financial Services Commission; Supervisor of Elections;
Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office, Deputy Governor (Ag), Executive Director of International Business for the government. And we have not even touched on her private sector experience nor her service on Statutory Boards and Commissions.
The Chairman noted that ‘the approach to writing (the) report has deliberately been to educate, in addition to making recommendations.”
Her report, which was presented jointly to His Excellency the Governor and the Hon Premier on 27 November 2023, was widely hailed as a thorough and quality piece of work; A chorus we expect to hear sung from the 13 as they debate it in the Honourable House.
And although it has taken them twenty-one months and twenty-one days to commence the debate of the report; making it seem that the Territory is always approaching legislative governance on its hind hoof, better late than never.
We expect that Honourable Members will have some weighty issues to consider as they debate, such as:
Who will comprise the negotiating team that discusses a new constitution with His Majesty’s Government?
Do we wish the Governor in or out of the Cabinet? And if he is out, what provisions should be made to ensure his participation? If he is in, does he continue to Chair the Cabinet or does the Premier whose agenda it is?
Should a Minister hold responsibility for the civil service? If not, should the Governor continue in that role or should it be the Deputy Governor?
Will the critical role of the Permanent Secretary be further reduced to that of a glorified clerk or does the PS really have responsibility for the administration of the Ministry and oversight of the Departments subject to ministerial policy in vogue from time to time?
Will Section 56 of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order finally be clarified?
Will that hybrid creature adopted from American administration, ‘The Chief of Staff,’ to whom we have given responsibility but the current system has afforded no authority; Will that hybrid be formally adopted?
There will be some measure of grandstanding, of course, for often, the discourses in the House are theatrical, amusing, laced with campaign rhetoric.
But we must push all that aside and listen carefully to hear if they are taking on board the approximately 1,000 submissions from the public.
Otherwise, we might be in no better a position than King Hamlet whose brother poured poison into his ear as he slept, grabbed the reins of the Kingdom, and married the Queen.
Your participation helps to give our Fridays purpose. Otherwise, we are all wasting our time and deserve the BVI we are handed by night.
Happy Friday!