The power to confirm high-ranking public service appointments does not rest with the government of the Virgin Islands but rather with the Governor’s Office and the Public Service Commission, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D Wheatley (R7) had to remind the Opposition Members of the House of Assembly recently. Photo: GIS/File

Opposition Member Hon Melvin M. Turnbull has expressed his frustration over key government positions remaining unconfirmed for extended periods. Photo: YouTube

Governor Daniel Pruce. The Governor is the head of the public service in the Virgin Islands. Photo: Facebook

His statement came in response to concerns Hon Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) raised during another robust exchange in the House of Assembly (HoA) on February 13, 2025, regarding the prolonged acting appointments of several senior officials within the public service.

Hon Turnbull, during the session, expressed his frustration over key government positions remaining unconfirmed for extended periods, and called on the Premier for an explanation as to why his government was not moving with urgency to regularise these appointments.

Not passing the buck

Hon Turnbull used his prerogative to query, since “...during the deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee, we continue to see that key posts within the government service have individuals who have been acting for years upon years; Could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House why his government is not moving expeditiously to have these high-ranking officials confirmed to better contribute to the territory and serve the people of these Virgin Islands?”

In his response, Premier Wheatley acknowledged the concerns but pointed out that such appointments were outside the direct purview of his administration.

“I don’t want to seem as if I’m passing the buck, as was said before, but in terms of the conditions of employment and appointments to the public service, these fall under the remit of the Governor; Therefore, it is not the role of this government to move expeditiously to have high-ranking officials confirmed in positions.”

While the Premier recognised that certain positions require his consultation, he nonetheless reiterated that the ultimate decision lies with the Public Service Commission and the Governor reiterating for members, “I do accept, Mr Speaker, that for certain positions that go to the Public Service Commission, consultation with the Premier is required, and I have been consulted on a number of positions.”

‘Cause for concern’

According to the Premier, “Ultimately, it is a recommendation from the Public Service Commission and a decision for the Governor in terms of confirming positions.” Premier Wheatley did acknowledge the issue, describing it as “a cause for concern” and “We need to take steps to ensure that once we believe we have the right persons in these positions and we've gone through a competitive process, these individuals can be confirmed.”

Hon Turnbull was adamant; however, “If we are not insistent, and your government is not insistent on having these positions confirmed by qualified BVIslanders who have the expertise, Mr Speaker and Honourable Premier, aren’t you wary that persons will be placed in these positions and given all the justifications of why they are needed over our people?” he asked.

To this end, the Premier, in turn, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that qualified Virgin Islanders are given priority saying, “I believe the Government of the Virgin Islands definitely should lead by example; We do have a provision in our Labour Code that says that long-acting appointments should be prevented once, of course, individuals have the requisite qualifications. And I would always champion the rights of our people who have the qualifications and all the other characteristics to be successful and to be the ones to get these jobs.”

Acknowledging the need for reform, the Premier also pointed to additional factors that could cause delays in confirmation, including legal matters and other bureaucratic hurdles. Nevertheless, he agreed that such matters should be resolved more efficiently.

“I do think that these things take too long to play out and should be handled more efficiently; That’s my view from the outside looking in, but generally, I don’t have a role to play as it pertains to matters such as that. However, I will communicate with the Governor and the Deputy Governor because, of course, the work of the government is hindered when we don’t have the proper personnel in place.”