A pleasant Good Day and God’s Blessings to all Virgin Islanders and residents. In a few weeks, your 11-month-old Government will make one year in office.

I wish to take a brief moment to update you on the progress that we have been making to ensure that Good Governance is at the heart of the conduct of public affairs in our Territory- the British Virgin Islands.

I am pleased to advise that the 2020 Budget was assented to by His Excellency the Governor on Friday, 20 December, 2019, and was also Gazetted on the same day.

The Government of the British Virgin Islands has moved to clarify certain inaccurate reports and misconceptions that have been circulating in the local and international media with respect to its use of the US Dollar as the Territory’s official currency.

We held a Business Solutions Forum that brought business stakeholders from various sectors of the economy and key Government agencies together in the same room to find solutions and resolutions. We were setting the stage for today and the future—to create a new Golden Age for the BVI hinged on greening the BVI agenda.

I move that the Bill shortly entitled the Appropriation Act, 2020 be read a second time as I invite this Honourable House to extend its customary indulgence as I deliver the Territory’s 2020 Budget Address.

Director of Projects in the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Drexel Glasgow presented a Case Study on the delivery of the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) when he represented the Territory at the Inter-American Network on Government (INGP) Procurement annual conference.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to update this Honourable House on my trip to the United Kingdom from 11^th to 13^th September 2019 where I led the delegation to discuss the conditions of the United Kingdom Loan Guarantee and other matters.

Mr. Speaker, I will now speak on the Oracle JD Edwards (JDE) software.

Mr. Speaker, I am in a good place this morning because finally the Members of the opposition agree that questions and answering the questions asked is critically important in strengthening our democracy, transparency and accountability, especially if we are on our way to becoming self-reliant. I commend them for these questions.

Mr. Speaker, my Government continues to put the necessary structures in place to restore hope and prosperity for all of the people of the Virgin Islands.