Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

'Urgent' need for more Gov’t visits to Sister Islands - Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

'Urgent' need for more Gov’t visits to Sister Islands - Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

The Sister Islands of Anegada and Jost van Dyke can expect more visits from the Department of Labour and Workforce Development’s Labour Protection and Labour Relations units.

The decision comes as Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has introduced an initiative where officers from the department are now mandated to visit the Sister Islands at least once per quarter.

Hon Wheatley, speaking to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) in an invited comment, said: ‘The initiative came out of the recent public meetings where residents complained of having to travel to Tortola for certain services. The pandemic has made the need to visit various departments even more urgent so we decided to go to the sister islands instead of having them come all the time.”

The Minister’s comment came following a visit to the islands to engage with residents and business owners, where he noted that over the years, the Sister Islands have been neglected in service areas due to limited financial resources.

Meanwhile, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Mrs Michelle A. McLean noted that the initiative is moving in the right direction and every effort will be made to ensure that there are further visits.


Regular visits


“The time taken to visit Jost van Dyke and Anegada further exposed the desperate need for regular visits,” Hon Wheatley said, according to a GIS release.

Meanwhile, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Mrs Michelle A. McLean noted that the initiative is moving in the right direction and every effort will be made to ensure that there are further visits.

“Businesses on these islands continue to feel the full impact of the pandemic as they are mostly dependent on tourism and, with minimal tourist interactions, business owners continue to struggle. Most of the concerns voiced by the employers were relative to their staff and the end of the layoff period,” she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×