Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Unemployment rates in D7 believed to be highest among all districts

Unemployment rates in D7 believed to be highest among all districts

Representative of the Seventh District Dr Natalio Wheatley has said he believes the unemployment rate within his constituency is the highest in comparison to the other districts in the British Virgin Islands.

Dr Wheatley made the statement during a community meeting on Thursday when he addressed a number of the growing concerns that have been plaguing his district.

He said: “We have suffered, I would say, from a lack of investment over the years. And as a result of that, we have a big problem with unemployment in our district. Our district needs more investment.”

“Out of all the districts in the Virgin Islands, I think the Seventh District is the one district most in need of jobs, and we are going to bring those jobs here,” he added.


Commercial spaces coming to Brandywine Bay

To help tackle the unemployment issue, Dr Wheatley said the government has been putting a number of measures in place to create more jobs within the community.

The most recent includes plans to create commercial spaces at Brandywine Bay to generate more revenue for the community.

“I have discussed with the community a project and the community, of course, have bought into this project of having commercial spaces on Brandywine Bay beach. So very shortly we are going to sign a contract for the commercial spaces on Brandywine Bay beach to be designed,” Dr Wheatley said.

He added: “We will build commercial properties on Brandywine Bay beach which we will lease to persons and certainly persons from the Brandywine community will have preference. We will rent spaces to persons right along the beach, and this Brandywine Bay will be an area that will draw persons away from places like Cane Garden Bay.”

The district representative said that once the commercial spaces have been established, a number of small business owners will be able to benefit from tourism activity.

“[I am] talking about persons who want to have their kayak businesses on the beach, persons who want to have their smoothie stands, persons who want to rent their beach chairs, persons who want to have restaurants on the beach,” he explained.


Other initiatives

Dr Wheatley, who is also the territory’s Agriculture Minister, further listed some of the other initiatives he believes will create more jobs within his district.

These include the $2 million economic stimuli for fishermen and farmers, the medical marijuana initiative which is expected to employ farmers and establish dispensaries across the district, a number of clean-up initiatives, and the establishing of a modern fishers and farmers market.


Unemployment register programme

Meanwhile, Dr Wheatley said a resident within his community has created a programme which is geared at recording the number of unemployed persons within the Seventh District.

By having this system in place, the minister said it will allow for better management of the unemployed, therefore assisting with the reduction of the current high levels.

“I have gotten one of the persons from the East, Mr Philip Fahie of Nature’s Way. He has developed some technology that will allow us to register the unemployed person within our district, and this registry will allow persons to register for different programmes that we are going to have in the community,” Dr Wheatley explained.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×