Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, May 12, 2025

Register of Interests Act withdrawn after strong objections from civil servants

Register of Interests Act withdrawn after strong objections from civil servants

Following strong objections from civil servants and even Members of the House of Assembly (HoA), the Government of National Unity has withdrawn the Register of Interests Act, 2022, after consultations with the local civil service.

The Motion to withdraw the bill was moved by Premier, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and seconded by the Deputy Premier, Hon Kye M. Rymer(R5) when the Fourth Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) convened at the Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom today, July 14, 2022.

Bill Withdrawn


"Madam Speaker, I withdraw this bill on the basis that the Government of National Unity in our framework agreement with the United Kingdom... we agree by June 30th to make the existing Register of Interest which is only applicable to elected public officials, we agree to make that public along with penalties for not declaring interest on time.

"We also committed to contacting the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to get information on how persons in the United Kingdom or otherwise declare their interest, that contact was made and we were referred to the House of Interest," he added.

Dr Wheatley said; however, that while the House was preparing to have the act passed by June 30, 2022, a new bill taken to the cabinet and introduced to the House was not what the Government of National Unity initially committed to passing.

New Bill Proposed


"That new bill, in essence, was the new system for declaring and registering interest and once members of the House of Assembly recognise that, we collectively agreed to recess the house," he added.

The Bill, controversial from the beginning, would have mandated legislators and some 18 categories of civil servants, and even members of the public volunteering on statutory boards, to declare their interests.

The Premier added that consultations were made with public officers and many persons had indicated they had challenges with the bill.

One vocal legislator, Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4), in a previous debate, added that the bill does not only affect those in the HoA, but 18 categories of persons in public life, “So I want those persons out there who are in public life already or who intend to be in public life to really study this bill."

More consultations & research to come


The Premier at today's sitting said that in the spirit of respecting the integrity of the democratic and legislative process and given the short time for consideration of the public and HoA members, it is the correct position to withdraw the bill for proper consultation and analysis.

He said once that process is completed, and with more research and robust consultations, a new bill on the subject will return to the House for deliberations.

Civil Service Association had rejected bill


The Virgin Islands Civil Service Association (VICSA) had slammed the National Unity Government of Premier Wheatley for trying to swiftly pass the Register of Interests Act in the House of Assembly (HoA) despite the many concerns by both HoA Members and public servants and the lack of consultation on the Bill.

It had also written to Acting Governor David D. Archer Jr to express its concerns said it has copied each elected representative to advise them of its opposition, as an executive, to the passage of the Act in its current form.

The Register of Interests Act, 2022 was read for the first time in the House of Assembly (HoA) and it was slated on the Order Paper for the Unity Government to suspend the Standing Orders to allow the Act to be read three times and passed in one single sitting.

The straight readings were discontinued following a strenuous objection by some Members of the HoA.

“We believe that the Act should be shelved until the wider public service is meaningfully consulted, have had their views heard, and reflected in a redrafted Act. We believe that justice and democracy so demand,” VICSA said.

The Virgin Islands Civil Service Association (VICSA) had slammed the National Unity Government of Premier Wheatley for trying to swiftly pass the Register of Interests Act in the House of Assembly (HoA) despite the many concerns by both HoA Members and public servants and the lack of consultation on the Bill.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Arsenal Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 Against Liverpool in Premier League Clash
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Rodrigo Duterte Awaits Trial at The Hague. Next week he might be elected mayor of his hometown
Trump fires director of U.S. Copyright Office, sources say
Retired British police officer arrested over ‘thought crime’ tweet
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Congressional Visit
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
×