Tier II government employees saw a small increase in their contributions to the Government Employees Retirement System (GERS) starting February 5. The 1% increase follows a similar measure for Tier I employees that took effect January 1. These increases are part of a plan to boost funding for the GERS, which was poised to
The latest economic reports indicate that the summer tourist season in the U.S. Virgin Islands for 2014 was among the strongest in recent memory. This is good news for the territory, following a winter tourist season in which activity actually declined 0.9 percent compared to the same period the year before. The summer numbers, however
On November 4, voters in the U.S. Virgin Islands approved the use of medical marijuana in the Territory, paving the way for legalization of producing, processing, manufacturing and distributing hemp for medicinal purposes in “America’s Paradise”. The measure received widespread support, passing by a margin of 56 to 43 percent.
The referendum was nonbinding, which
Pending legislation could mean an increase in the film industry’s already booming business in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a source familiar with the industry’s workings in the Territory. The legislation could be passed as soon as the end of the year.
For now, shooting in the U.S. Virgin Islands offers no major tax
At the 2014 State of the Industry Conference organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in St. Thomas, keynote speaker Apple Leisure Group CEO Alex Zozaya emphasized the importance of keeping politics and bureaucracy out of the tourism industry if it’s expected to grow. Instead, Zozaya said, tourism should be run like the business that it
As part of its ongoing mission to promote sustainability through environmental design and energy efficiency, the University of the Virgin Islands recently received confirmation of an initial success.
The Research and Technology Park building on the St. Croix campus has been certified green by the Green Building Certification Institute. RTPark is now considered a LEED
In a move that Governor John deJongh, Jr., said would help the U.S. Virgin Islands fund projects already approved by the senate, the Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority (PFA) sold $49.6 million in bonds at the end of August. Among other projects, the funds will provide working capital to territorial hospitals and the general fund
For the U.S. Virgin Islands, the news that the three major seasonal festivals — already feeling the impact of budget cuts from last year — will be faced with additional cuts in fiscal year 2015 is cause for concern. The combination of two years of reduced budgets and the lingering effects of some unpredictable events
It appears that citizens of the U.S. Virgin Islands will finally get their chance to vote on whether or not the Territory should legalize medical marijuana this November.
Senator Terrence Nelson has sponsored a measure that, if it appears on the November general election ballot, would allow voters to give a simple yes or no
BoltNagi Attorney Tom Bolt informed the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Finance Committee last month that the territory will most likely be seeing same-sex marriages soon, whether or not residents vote for it.
While presenting next year’s budget request for the V.I. Uniform Laws Commission, a branch dedicated to researching and promoting productive uniform state laws, Bolt