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by pltm
(PLTM) - During a joint conference yesterday on August 9 between Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley and Governor John Rankin, it was asserted by Rankin that while progress has been achieved in alignment with the national reform process, major changes and serious decisions still need to be undertaken, to ensure that 48 of the 49 recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report are effectively implemented.
Some areas of progress made so far include the terms of reference for the Constitutional Review Commission being agreed on, which resulted in the Commission meeting officially for the first time last month.
In addition, “Individuals have been appointed to lead reviews into: Elected Officials’ discretionary powers; the process for the disposal of Crown Land; and the practice of House of Assembly members contracting with the Government, including statutory boards. I am pleased to say these reviews will be led respectively by Ms Anthea Smith, Mr David Abednego and Mr Denniston Fraser,” Governor Rankin noted in his update.
In relation to the overall advancement of the public service, Governor Rankin informed the public that a Public Service Management Code is being formulated and is nearing completion. Subsequent to this, consultations with members of the public service are scheduled, after which Governor Rankin plans to sign the code into effect.
Of the law enforcement and judicial system, Governor Rankin stated that “We are working on the appointment of an independent agency to vet staff at HM Customs, Immigration, the Royal Virgin Island Police Force and HM Prison. We are also working to establish a panel with external expertise to review law enforcement and justice systems to ensure that the law enforcement agencies have modern facilities and powers to help better prevent, monitor, and detect crime and prepare matters for prosecution. The UK is offering funding and expertise for implementation of these recommendations.”
He also announced that based on the amended Audit Act, obstructing the Auditor General from performing his or her duties is now a criminal offense. Further, the Service Commission Regulations have been amended to make the failure to cooperate with the Office of the Auditor General or Internal Audit Department by any public officer, an act of misconduct, with two such offenses resulting in dismissal.
Governor Rankin said that “In terms of next steps, as part of the Framework for COI implementation agreed with the BVI Government, I will complete my first quarterly review of implementation in September. I will include in this my overall assessment of progress against the implementation of the COI recommendations, other reforms enacted, and the political culture exhibited in the day to day running of government. My Report will be published here in the BVI as well as sent to Ministers in the UK.”
