Governor defends exclusion from BVI’s interest register

Governor Daniel Pruce has denied any double standards in the application of interest declaration rules for senior public servants in the Virgin Islands, amid questions about why he is not personally listed on the local Register of Interests.

The issue surfaced during a press conference on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) reforms, where Pruce confirmed that senior public officers are now required to register their interests in a private register, as mandated under recent legislative changes.

“The register does exist. Public officers have had an opportunity, in line with the new arrangements, to provide details to that register,” he stated.

He noted that access levels to the register have been the subject of ongoing discussion, but added, “We now have in place a good and effective basis within which interests that are a matter of public interest, which are relevant to the exercise of the responsibilities of public officers and others, can now be properly recorded,” Pruce explained.

When asked whether he, as the highest-ranking public officer in the territory, was also required to register under the same system, the Governor said he was subject to more stringent rules under UK protocols.

“In terms of conflicts of interest, in terms of registering anything that could conflict with my role or responsibility, I’m subject to all of the very robust provisions that are exercised by the British government over a British public servant,” he stated.