As the government continues implementing the reforms recommended by the 2022 Commission of Inquiry report, it will also work to educate residents about the effort and seek public input on the progress so far, according to Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley.
Part of that push is a communications drive under the “Governance Reform Education and Awareness Transition” campaign, dubbed “GREAT” for short, Mr. Wheatley said last Thursday during his first press conference of the year.
“We plan to reach every member of the public and public service by every possible media, including website updates, brochures, flyers/infographics, newsletters, video and audio reports, townhall meetings, departmental training sessions for public officers, emails, WhatsApp messages and SMS texts,” Mr. Wheatley said.
Governor Daniel Pruce, he added, will soon begin gathering feedback from the public.
“Details of how this will be undertaken will soon be made available,” he said. “In the meantime, the government expects to complete its self-assessment by early March, the same timeframe in which the governor’s final review and report on the public submissions are expected to be completed.”
Order in council
After those submissions are received, he said, UK Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty will hold discussions with the governor, the VI government and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on the status of the order in council that allows the UK to implement direct rule if the COI recommendations are not completed in time.
Mr. Doughty has said he hopes to agree on the way forward for the order in council — which the premier has long urged the UK to lift immediately — in the first half of this year.
Crime spike
Also during the press conference, the premier said that efforts to address a crime spike in the territory are under way, and extra help is coming soon from the UK.
“We do have an upsurge in some areas of crime,” Mr. Wheatley said. “Last year we had four murders. Every life lost is a life too much. So we want to bring murders down to zero. But we have some resurgence in some areas, and the police have a strategy to deal with the groups that are responsible for those areas of crime.”
The premier added that the governor, who has responsibility for security in the territory, is on top of the situation.
“I don’t want to pre-empt him, but he is also going to be providing resources from the United Kingdom to be able to support the work of the Virgin Islands,” the premier said.
When pressed, however, he did not identify specific areas of UK assistance, and the Governor’s Office declined to provide further details for now.
The comments came the week after acting Police Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool claimed the force was making progress in the face of a 12 percent crime rise recorded in the past year.
UKOT president
The premier also explained his new role as the president of the UK Overseas Territories Association.
“This change in leadership underscores our resolute commitment to collaborative governance and the advocacy of the interests of all UK overseas territories,” he said. “We will ensure that our voices are heard and our needs addressed. As president, we will preside over the political council, shaping policies and prioritising the interests of all territories in the association’s deliberations.”
Mr. Wheatley said the position will enhance the territory’s standing internationally.
“These roles provide us with enhanced access to key contacts within the United Kingdom and the European Union, paving the way for partnerships and initiatives that benefit both the Virgin Islands and other territories,” he said.
British Caribbean News
