The new Minister of Government was at the time lending his voice to the Business Licensing Act, 2020, during the continuation of the 3rd Sitting of the 4th Session of the 4th House of Assembly at Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff’s Bottom, Tortola on Thursday, June 16, 2022.

“We cannot stifle our people, Madam Speaker, to be held hostage by different areas of development and systems and departments within government that are not successful… Speaker.”

Hon Turnbull then lamented the inconvenience persons experience as a result of poor customer service in the public service system.

“We have to stop treating people like they are less than us, Madam Speaker. This deals with employers, this deals with employees, it deals with those of us who are in customer service in this public service.

He also highlighted the issue where work permit holders have been unable to renew their work permits in a timely manner due to delays in the public service; however, the work permit holders have to pay for regular extensions to remain in the VI, while others have allegedly been asked to exit the territory.

Hon Melvin M. Turnbull highlighted the issue where work permit holders have been unable to renew their work permits in a timely manner due to delays in the public service; however, the work permit holders have to pay for regular extensions to remain in the VI, while others have allegedly been asked to exit the territory.

‘We are not doing people favours’

“Madam Speaker, we have a job to serve our customers, we are not doing people favours, we are doing them a service, and when we get back to that understanding, that we cannot hold up, whether employers or whomever, Madam Speaker, hold up an employee’s life by not doing the things that we are supposed to do.”

Hon Turnbull added that some of the persons asked to leave the territory have been in the territory for over 20 years.

“They don’t know no other place but the BVI as their home.

“So, Madam Speaker, I am saying this because this area the Premier has given me responsibility for. Over the last three and a half weeks, we have started work, this Government of National Unity has started work to try to fix some of these ills because while we are passing new legislation and while we are bringing new ideas, Madam Speaker, we can’t do new things and the old systems haven’t changed,” Hon Turnbull stated.