The first major undertaking for Representative for the Eighth District and Junior Minister with responsibility for trade and investment Honourable Marlon A. Penn is to work on a study on the major economic pillars of the Virgin Islands with a view to charting a way through the turbulent global climate in which the territory finds itself. Photo: VINO/File

In an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online on Saturday January 23, 2016, Penn, one of two recently appointed Junior Ministers, made it clear that he is ready for the challenge and that his new work will not take away the focus from his work to make the Eighth District better as Its Representative. Photo: VINO/File

Penn interacting with a supporter during the 2015 elections campaign. Photo: VINO/File

In an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online on Saturday January 23, 2016, Penn, one of two recently appointed Junior Ministers, made it clear that he is ready for the challenge and that his new work will not take away the focus from his work to make the Eighth District better as its Representative.

He said his areas of focus as Junior Minister would be the National Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs and the Investment Portfolio.

Penn said also that under the Investment Portfolio the territory would seek investments both local and overseas.

Consumer Affairs Protection Unit

The young legislator noted that there is not yet a consumer affairs protection unit and this is being looked at, adding that they are now taking reports that would have been done years ago, dusting them off, and looking to see whether they are still relevant as part of the efforts to go forward with consumer protection and the type of legislation to put in place.

Penn is now also responsible for the trade licencing regime.

“Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith has given me the mandate to move the portfolio forward,” he said of his new areas of responsibility.

“One of those areas is the National Business Bureau that we started back in 2003 but which went dormant and which we restarted in 2011.”

He noted that the Bureau has issued about 10 loans to small businesses and they are trying to strengthen that programme by putting in place mechanisms to train the business owners as well.

“So it’s not just giving them the money but also giving them the support that they need, the technical support and mentorship,” he said.

A new challenge

Asked how he will cope with this new responsibility given that he is also a District Representative, he said that it is a challenge that he is looking forward to.

“Now I have to be more in tune in terms of actually running a department and ensuring that the programmes that we have in place for that department are executed. The NDP Government’s manifesto outlined some of the key things that we need to do within that portfolio,” he said.

“It is more work but a challenge and something I look forward to,” said Honourable Penn. “I’m not looking at it as work. I’m looking at it as an opportunity to grow and develop and also use my talents to help the territory.”

Asked what some of the gaps were concerning the new areas under his portfolio, he said that it would be premature for him to try to identify these, as he is now getting his “feet wet.”

“We are still looking at what is happening now and getting ourselves acclimatised to where we need to go in the next 15 or 20 years,” he said.

Economic study

Hon Penn said one of the key things for him is to do an economic study of the VI, looking at the key industries of financial services, tourism, construction, the hospitality industry among others to see where the opportunities are within the economy “of that we get a better sense of where we are as a country.”

Asked who is going to perform this study, Honourable Penn said that it is now being looked and as such, nothing has been finalised.

“It will be a combination of internal government resources and we might need to bring in some assistance to do that.”

He added that such an undertaking does not have to mean a lot in terms of finances to get it done.

“But we think it is something that is needed to get a picture of our whole economy and all the elements of our economy so that we could make better decisions,” he said.

Junior Ministers

Virgin Islands News Online was first to report that Hons Marlon A. Penn and Archibald C. Christian were identified as Junior Ministers and the first to report on the Swearing In Ceremony held at the Office of the Premier on December 16, 2015.

Hon Penn was announced as having the portfolio of Trade and Investment, while Hon Christian was handed the portfolio of Tourism.

According to Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith at the Swearing In Ceremony, the Junior Ministers' appointments are in the context of helping to manage and advance critical portfolios under the Premier’s Office.

Premier Smith had further said that Honourable Christian and Honourable Penn will report to him, regarding their assigned responsibilities under his ministerial portfolio. In addition, they will work closely with the staff and departments under the Premier’s Office. He noted that both Honourable Christian and Honourable Penn are very enthusiastic to continue the work of the Government, and in an enhanced capacity.

“They are both filled with creative ideas about the economic development of the territory, and I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years,” Premier Smith had said.

The new Minsters are not members of Cabinet, but will assist in the performance of Ministerial functions relating to economic development.