Further increasing minimum wage requires ‘a delicate balance’- Premier Wheatley
Speaking on Talking Points on January 12, 2026, on ZBVI 780 AM, Premier Wheatley spoke on the recent increase in the minimum wage in the Virgin Islands (VI).
The new minimum wage of $7.25 per hour took effect on July 1, 2025. The last increase was in 2016, when it was increased from $4.00 per hour to $6.00 per hour.
There must be a balance
According to the Premier, his principle as it pertains to further increasing the minimum wage is ensuring there is a balance.
“If we try to help the workers by increasing the minimum wage, you may cause the cost of living to go up for everybody, so it’s a delicate balance that you have to achieve.”
Dr Wheatley explained that some of the workers that they are trying to help may actually end up being the ones hurt, as their employers may have to lay them off.
He added that small businesses are having a difficult time right now, and measures need to be taken to help the business community.
“Then we make some adjustments so that they’re not too negatively affected if you do put up the minimum wage further.”
A new minimum wage of $8.50 per hour for the Virgin Islands (VI) was initially set to come into effect on Saturday, November 30, 2024; however, in a bulletin from the government on December 3, 2024, a postponement on the increase was made “on account of a matter of policy”.
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26 Responses to “Further increasing minimum wage requires ‘a delicate balance’- Premier Wheatley ”
Is he seriously saying that it’s a ‘delicate balance’ to increase the national minimum wage which is way too low as it is, when HOA just approved 100% pay rises for themselves? When the proposal was to increase minimum wage by $1.25 per hour.
Let’s not forget in only 2024 the Premier went from earning 72k to 146k.
They’ve got to go
Where was the delicate balance when y'all made $25 million error thanks to you and the rest politicians inflating y'all pay to the max .
and instead of reversing back y'all specific pay raise or even humbling yourselves and starting from the bottom of the new scale you decided to raise taxes on a bunch of services (some essential) and introduce new taxes to support y'all big stinking pay checks.
So while I tax payers contribute to y'all life style you continue you kick them in them face but no giving a reasonable pay raise to match cost of living.
Y'all refuse to ease the burden on tax payers at all. Not even a decent price control to keep the retail stores in check. But everybody in on the business. Just greed and profits on top of profits. Imagine making 200% profits on a $4.00 dollar item but you decided that's not enough and want a 700% profits so you increase the price every other week......
But hey UK hate us and don't like we black people right? Well I don't care if uk don't mean well if UK is the only way to slap aya down a notch or keep y'all in check then I am glad they are there! Any fool vote for independence either apart of the elite greedy people of the BVI or them got the logical thinking of pothole.
Imagine government workers got them pay raise long before minimum wage workers and the retail stores still increase the prices to match government workers new pay raise....so the rest who ain get no pay raise got to take double the blows only got Natalio to increase it by a dollar 50......
Let's not forget that y'all still opted to give yourselves a big big pay raise despite already passing the greedy bill
I refuse to believe!
What we need right now, is "love the little man", kind of leadership, FROM THE TOP!
Uhmm, you just don't have the optics for this , Premier!
YA JUST DON'T!
Then there is this idea to have a vote who need an alternative of tax exemptions of 15k vote yes.
I use this example to make the point that the premier is right. Two negative are likely to happen with a further increase in minimum wage.
1) Price on goods may increase, making it more expensive for everyone and how will that benefit the persons who just received an increase from a higher minimum wage.
2) The employer likely will increase prices on goods and if enough of the goods are not sold to make enough revenues to handle an increase in expenditure, the employer may have a tought decision on wether to keep all the employees or release some.
So yes the premier is right.