Road Town's public-private transformation movement gets underway
Speaking at the launch on April 4, 2025, Premier Wheatley identified the long-standing fragmentation in the management of Road Town’s affairs as a key bugbear, telling those in attendance, “Over the years we have not kept up with the needs of our capital.”
According to Dr Wheatley, “There are so many different ministries, departments and agencies with responsibilities for Road Town that their resources, energy and actions are not always coordinated and therefore the impact is not always as strong as it could be.”
Holistic Urban renewal
He further lamented that the roles of the district representative, the community, and the private sector have historically been undefined or underutilised in addressing the needs of the capital saying,
The Road Town Partnership initiative once fully constituted, the Premier said, will be a legal entity — a structured collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as the broader community.
“The RTP will have an independent board consisting of 11 members from the government, business and the community. It will be co-chaired by a private sector representative and a government representative,” he disclosed.
The board will also be tasked with the development and implementation of a comprehensive Road Town Development plan, involving inclusive stakeholder consultation, transparent governance, and long-term strategic visioning.
CoI Lessons
“Working together, the partners will develop the vision and plan for Road Town and identify the legal structure, capability and resources to transform and maintain its infrastructure, appearance, ambience and user-friendliness,” Premier Wheatley added.
The designated geographic scope of the RTP’s work spans the commercial and civic corridor from the Prospect Reef roundabout to the Purcell roundabout, affecting parts of Districts 3, 4, 5 and 6.
According to Dr Wheatley, the initiative builds on institutional introspection stemming from the recent Commission of Inquiry (COI) since, “One of the major lessons we learned having just completed the COI, is that our processes and institutions must be developed and strengthened; We are applying that lesson to the development of Road Town through the RTP.”
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12 Responses to “Road Town's public-private transformation movement gets underway ”
We have to move beyond that mindset. Governance must serve the people, not frustrate them. And in doing so, we must be bold enough to tap into the wealth of experience that already exists among us — particularly among our expatriate brothers and sisters who have served in governments abroad or led major corporations across the globe.
We may not always like to admit it, but we must acknowledge the value of having worked in large economies, of managing complex systems and populations. That exposure brings with it a breadth of knowledge and a logistical discipline that can enrich our own institutions. And we must be confident enough — secure enough — to welcome that expertise, not fear it. This is not about giving up control; it’s about lifting our standards and embracing what works, for the benefit of our people.
But what about upgrading the infrastructure of the 7th district. Filty sewer water running in the streets daily, nonstop, and rusted vehicles, and other wornout equipment, that have littered the 7th (our Hon Premier surpose-to-be represented district), ever since he was first elected to power, but lags far behind because he is primary interest is their vote, not their better, not to mention best interest.
Biasness, crookedness, carelessness, ignorantness, many different kind of ness, but where is partnershipness, kindness, togetherness, and helpfulness. If any knows inform me?
Are their persons or groups of person intelligent enough in the 7th district to help advised our Premier of his lack of good judgment on these and other infrastructural restoration matters???
The simple truth is that we need better leaders that hacmve the B.V.I people best interest in their heart for all person living, and visiting the B.V.I daily, especially natives and belongers are intitled to first preference, but is that what's happening?