Premier hosts strategic meeting with PS & senior Gov't officials
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has brought togther all Permanent Secretaries and senior Government officials for a strategic meeting. Photo: Facebook
According to a facebook post on January 22, 2026, this annual meeting is dedicated to defining priorities, synchronizing plans and unlocking collaborative opportunities across Ministries. Photo: Facebook
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) brought together all Permanent Secretaries and senior Government officials for a strategic meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
According to a Facebook post on January 22, 2026, this annual meeting is dedicated to defining priorities, synchronising plans and unlocking collaborative opportunities across Ministries.
The post added that the meeting is held twice annually, also stating that ‘’these meetings are about turning priorities into deliverables, aligning budgets and efforts and tracking progress throughout the year.’’
All permanent secretaries and senior government officials were present, and the premier led the meeting.
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11 Responses to “Premier hosts strategic meeting with PS & senior Gov't officials ”
Now, the BVI is far too small a territory to adopt that model in a rigid or wholesale manner. We do not have the luxury of constant turnover, nor can we afford to treat every transition as a sweeping purge of institutions.
But we must acknowledge the underlying risk: when key positions become entrenched, and when obstructionist behaviour is tolerated—whether overtly or quietly—the result is predictable. Gridlock. Delay. And ultimately, a loss of public confidence in governance itself.
So some mechanism must be put in place—clear, enforceable, and fair—that creates a pathway to replace officials when there is credible evidence of obstruction or deliberate non-cooperation. And that process must be swift and decisive.
Because at this scale, the Territory simply cannot afford governance by stalemate. Not from either side.
Ministers set the political agenda and establish the priorities. But Permanent Secretaries are the administrative and operational heads of ministries. They are the ones responsible for execution—managing budgets, directing staff, overseeing procurement, ensuring compliance, and translating policy into results.
And that distinction matters. Because if you have an ineffective—or worse, vindictive—Permanent Secretary, the system can grind to a halt regardless of what the Minister intends. It is an enormously powerful position, and when it is misused or allowed to become obstructionist, nothing moves.
That is why safeguards and accountability mechanisms must exist to address poor performance and deliberate obstruction quickly. Without them, we will continue to confuse political messaging with operational reality—and the Territory will keep paying the price in delays, dysfunction, and lost public trust.