TORTOLA, BVI – Premier and minister of finance, Dr Natalio D. Wheatley has underscored the importance of a strong, collaborative relationship between ministers of government, permanent secretaries and heads of departments, speaking on Wednesday, as an estimated 90 top public officers met for mid-year review.
In August 2024, the House of Assembly passed the Public Service Management Act, 2024, into law. This legislation provides the framework for the management of the Public Service.
The Act mandates that permanent secretaries and heads of departments perform their duties under the control and direction of ministers, consistent with the Constitution Order of 2007. It also gives permanent secretaries the responsibility to supervise ministries and departments under the direction and control of the minister.
“This significant clarification means that Ministers have a strong management responsibility to set performance goals and provide direct input into the performance appraisals of permanent secretaries,” premier Wheatley said, adding that permanent secretaries have the same responsibility with department heads on behalf of the minister. “This means that there must be a strong and collaborative relationship between ministers and permanent secretaries”.
The premier said the reason for the mid-year review is to continue the implementation of the Public Service Management Act, with respect to the mission of building a sustainable nation with the National Sustainable Development Plan as a roadmap.
“We are here to strengthen the foundation of the Public Service as we support the territory to navigate the turbulent and challenging times in which we live,” premier Wheatley noted.
These are critical times and a pivotal point in the development of the Virgin Islands. Premier Wheatley told the public officers that they each have a critical role to play, and it is important for everyone to be aligned.
“The mid-year review provides the opportunity for us all to work together, to report on what we have achieved since we met in February and set the course for the rest of the year and 2026,” the premier continued. “I must emphasise that we can do this, but we can only do it by working together.”
The Territory’s leader took the opportunity to thank his ministers, junior ministers, and their teams, for “the hard work they are doing under challenging circumstances. I also thank the senior management team for the outstanding support you provide ministers and the government.”
The National Sustainable Development Plan NSDP was completed in 2022, and it was officially launched in 2023 as the foundation of the Territory’s future development. The six goals of the NSDP fall under health, education, economy, infrastructure, good governance, and environment, and each budget year has been themed under the NSDP.
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