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US & UK gov'ts shouldn't get involved in charter fee issue- Premier Wheatley
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has defended the significant increase in licensing and entry fees for foreign-based commercial vessels, which took effect June 1, 2025, and said neither the United States nor the United Kingdom governments should get involved.
Legislators want 5-year election cycle, not 4- HoA Report
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The members of the current House of Assembly (HoA) want to serve for five years, not four, and they hope to get their way with that when making amendments to the constitution in London later this year.
'Formal constitutional negotiations' with UK to begin early 2026- Premier Wheatley
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has stated that the Virgin Islands government will begin constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom (UK) early in 2026.
New Opposition Leader needed ahead of constitutional talks with UK- Pastor Skelton-Cline
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI- “I am more convinced now than ever before that the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition should not go anywhere together to negotiate this constitution.” These were the words of social commentator Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline during his weekly radio show, Honestly Speaking, on ZBVI 780 AM, on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
VI-USVI situation is ‘not about money’- Hon Julian Fraser RA
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Deputy Premier and Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Hon Julian Fraser, RA (R3) has said the current issues between the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and the Virgin Islands (VI) is not about money.
UPDATE: VI & USVI discussing proposed amendments to charter boat legislation
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, St Thomas, USVI- A delegation led by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) is in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, engaging their USVI counterparts on the proposed amendments to the charter boat legislation and their wider impact on the Greater Virgin Islands.
UPDATE: VI & USVI agree to ‘crunch the numbers’ again on charter fee hike
PASEA ESTATE, Tortola, VI- Following what was described as “intense” negotiations between the Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands regarding charter fees increase for USVI-based boaters today, March 7, 2025, both parties have agreed to go back and “crunch the numbers” and the VI has pledged to hold off on the amendments to the Commercial Recreational Vessels Licensing Act until an agreement on a fair increase is met.
VI should not expand charter industry @ ‘detriment’ of USVI’s- Gov Bryan
FREDERIKSTED, St Croix, USVI- The Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), Albert A. Bryan Jr, has confirmed that he will meet with the Virgin Islands' (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), in Tortola on Friday, March 7, 2025, to discuss proposed increases affecting the marine charter-yachting industry for the territories.
‘We were not on the same page’ in horse racing negotiations- Premier
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI—Caving in face of persistent questioning from Opposition Member Honourable Melvin M. Turnbull (R2), Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D Wheatley (R7) has finally admitted that the Government and one of the private landowners of Ellis Thomas Downs in Sea Cows Bay remain at an impasse regarding the facility's future.
Horse racing the forgotten sports in VI
SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI- After some three years of no horse racing (last race was in 2021) on Tortola and the Ellis Thomas Downs land negotiations at a standstill, it appears horse racing- a big pastime and something that has been ingrained in the Virgin Islands' culture- is forgotten.
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