British Virgin Islands Business News

The analysis of the latest events in BVI and worldwide, affecting BVI business environment; facts and statistics on BVI International Business Companies involved in global business activities.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

BVI Government Representatives Meeting EU Officials


According to the statement issued by the BVI Government, its London Office Director and EU representative recently co-chaired an EU/OCT Financial Services Partnership Working Party meeting in Brussels, Belgium, having discussed the issue why earlier this year BVI was placed on the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

The Director of Policy, Research and Statistics at the BVI FSC Cherno Jallow and other OCT technical experts had the meeting on the issue with European Commission officials from the Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union, talking about the European Union position on blacklisting of Overseas Territories. By words of Jallow, the sides agreed that the inclusion of countries on the list had to be further considered in connection with co-operation between the EU and OCTs in the sphere of financial services.

Other issued discussed during the meeting were operation of the platform for tax good governance, re-launching of the common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB), Country-by-Country reporting and other EU initiatives.

The BVI FSC representative also had a meeting with the UK person on the European Parliament, Daniel Dalton, to brief him on the “high international standards met by the BVI on tax and transparency during the meeting”.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Captive Insurance Consultant Hired by BVI Finance


BVI Finance (formerly known as the BVI International Finance Centre and rebranded in 2015) has hired a senior insurance consultant, who is a trained accountant experienced in the captive insurance sector, to assist the development of the captives industry in the British Virgin Islands and improve the Financial Services sector in the territory.

Malcolm Cutts-Watson will have the duty to navigate the emerging trends and developments in the global captive market, and advice as to how the jurisdiction could benefit from the opportunities and escape any threats. He will also assist in providing competitiveness of the BVI product offering in the global market. By words of Julien Johnson, the executive director of BVI Finance, the consultant’s responsibility will include review of the relevant legislation and proposal for amendments to the Insurance (Amendment) Act 2014/2015.

Cutts-Watson currently is a non-executive director of Cutts-Watson Consulting Limited; he has more than 30 years of experience in the sector having consulted clients in Europe and Asia. Also, he is an approved manager in a number of jurisdictions, among them the greater Caribbean, USA, Bermuda, Europe, and Africa.

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Friday, December 04, 2015

BVI FSC Issued 40th Volume of Statistical Bulletin


The BVI Financial Services Commission has published the fortieth volume of the Quarterly Statistical Bulletin, providing statistics on financial services activities in the jurisdiction in the third quarter of 2015. According to the statistics of the Registry of Corporate Affairs, in this period 11,951 new companies were incorporated in BVI, as compared to 11,059 companies registered in the second quarter of the year, and 11,376 companies registered in the third quarter of 2014. As at 30 September 2015, cumulative number of Business Companies registered in the British Virgin Islands was 475,309.

In Investment Business sector, 1 Investment Business licence was granted in the third quarter of 2015, as well as 23 Professional and 3 Private Mutual Fund licences. As at 30 September 2015, 483 Investment Business licences, and 1,463 Professional, 484 Private and 77 Public Mutual Fund licences were granted in the British Virgin Islands.

In the third quarter of 2015, there were 25 Licenced Insolvency Practitioners functioning in the jurisdiction. According to the Legal and Enforcement and Co-operation Statistics, there were 64 International Co-operation Matters with formal requests, 6 Co-operation Matters with informal requests, 13 Enforcement Matters and 23 Enforcement Investigations. Other information, key figures and statistics on the financial services in the British Virgin Islands in the third quarter of 2015 can be found on the home page of BVI Financial Services Commission.

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Friday, November 27, 2015

First Meeting of the Board of BVI International Arbitration Centre


The Board of the BVI International Arbitration Centre, which was appointed on 7 September, 2015, had its first meeting in Tortola, BVI. Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. Orlando Smith informed the Board of the full support of the BVI Government, and of its commitment to the independence and autonomy of the Centre.

It was stated by the Chairman of the Board Mr. John Beechey that the inaugural meeting had been the first opportunity for members of the Board to discuss together timetable and outstanding action items. The immediate tasks with which the Board had to work were the finalisation of Rules for the Centre and the formation of panel of arbitrators.

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

BVI Presented as Top Financial Centre at China Offshore Summit


British Virgin Islands was named the most important and most preferred offshore jurisdiction in the Asia Pacific, already for the sixth year. The survey was conducted inside and outside the region, and in respondents’ opinion BVI remains the undisputed market leader in the financial services industry.

At the 2015 China Offshore Summit, which was held in Shanghai on November 4-5, CEO of Vistra Group Martin Crawford made a presentation on behalf of BVI Finance. He said that the BVI territory held about 50 percent of the market share of new offshore companies formed globally and, of the active companies on the BVI’s registry, about 60 percent were from Asian clients. He stated that in the Global Financial Centres Index the BVI is ranked at the top of the most competitive offshore financial centres, and named some factors that help BVI remain the leader, among them legal and commercial certainty, and robust regulatory standards, being focused on “value-added” rather than pure volume.

Additionally, Crawford said that the top ten listed companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange had BVI subsidiaries.

Presentations were also made for the BVI at the Summit by group legal counsel at AMS Financial Group, Barry Mitchell, director of BVI House Asia, Elise Donovan, and managing partner in China of Harney, Westwood and Riegels, Kristy Calvert. China Offshore Summit was attended by more than 500 Chinese business leaders.

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Friday, November 06, 2015

Opposition Leader Speaks to Public


The parliamentary opposition of the British Virgin Islands has been criticized for keeping silence since it lost the general elections in June, but this week opposition leader Julian Frazer said to the public that they will start working soon. He added that the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) will be on track soon, and “the budget time coming up.”

After the defeat of the opposition led by Frazer, he and Andrew Fahie remained the only members of the Opposition Virgin Islands Party in the House of Assembly – the two other seats the party had were lost. However, when choosing between two members, Frazer was selected again as the leader of the opposition. NDP returned to government for the second term, with eleven seats in the House.

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Thursday, October 15, 2015

British Overseas Territories are Offered to Have Representation in UK Parliament


The UK Parliament MP from Conservatives, chairing the Parliamentary British Overseas Territories Committee, has said that the overseas territories should be represented in the UK Parliament, based on the fact that some UK territories including Scotland have less autonomy but have their representation in Westminster. He also stated that the French, Dutch, and Danish overseas territories had elected representation in the national parliaments. He said that it is worth to consider allowing British Overseas Territories and crown dependency members in the House of Lords.

British MP was speaking on the fringe meeting that was hosted by the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, meant to bring together all the 16 of them. Overseas territories have mixed opinions about full Westminster representation, but, by his words, at last the discussion was initiated on the issue.

Regarding the future referendum on the EU membership, he said that it will definitely have an impact on the UK territories, as many of them have their business in the European Union.

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Friday, October 02, 2015

Annual BVI Asia 2015 Business Conference Held Backed by BVI House Asia


The Business BVI ASIA 2015 annual regional conference which took place on September 23 attracted more than 100 offshore industry experts and leaders from the most progressive businesses in Asia and British Virgin Islands. The conference named "Pivoting to Asia - A View Beyond the Horizon" was sponsored by BVI House Asia already for the second year.

The conference presentations included "China's One Belt One Road Regional Development Strategy: Long Term Opportunities for the Offshore Sector," made by Dr Qian Liu, director of Economics Unit, The Economist Group, Beijing; "Future Disruption in the Offshore Space: Where will the next 'Uber' come from?"; and "Emerging Wealth in China: Millionaire Households and Ultra High-Net Worth Households."

It was stated by Dr.Qian Liu that, with outbound direct investment from China having increased 35% since 2005, "Chinese companies investing in international markets want the certainty that BVI structures, backed by BVI courts and English common law, provide, rather than relying on the courts of countries in emerging markets. Second, China's fast-rising middle class will want trust funds, private wealth management and other services that the BVI can arrange. Finally, the Chinese middle class wants to spend more on tourism, a trend that began in Southeast Asia and continues in Hawaii, Tahiti and the Caribbean. As a tourist destination, the BVI sits on the rising demand for tourism."

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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

New Members Appointed to BVI International Arbitration Centre Board


The BVI FSC released information about the appointments of five inaugural members for the BVI International Arbitration Centre Board. The BVI International Arbitration Centre was established with the purpose to provide full-service support and facilities for arbitration and mediation proceedings. The first board members were appointed by the Cabinet of the British Virgin Islands on September 7; the newly appointed members are Mr. John Beechey, who became the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Mark Forte, Mr. Cherno Jallow, QC, Mr. Murray Smith and Ms. Felice Swapp.

Mr. John Beechey is an independent arbitrator, who was President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration from 2009 until June, 2015. Mr. Mark Forte is a Partner and Head of Litigation & Restructuring in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) office of Conyers Dill & Pearman. Mr. Cherno Jallow is the Director of Policy, Research and Statistics at the BVI Financial Services Commission. Mr. Murray Smith is a chartered arbitrator having extensive experience in commercial arbitration. Ms. Felice Swapp is the Chief Operating Officer of Harney’s.

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Monday, September 14, 2015

Final Report Issued by Observer Mission on BVI 2015 General Election


Final report was issued on the 2015 general election held in the BVI in June, including an overview of the election observer mission, advance polling day, elections day, counting of votes, complaints and appeals, and participation of women and young people in the elections. The report, published by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region, also observes the legal framework of the British Virgin Islands, election administration in the territory, candidate and voter registration, the campaign and the media, and ends with the list of eight recommendations.

The election observer mission recommended the introduction of fixed-term parliaments, and the code of conduct to be signed by candidates. It also offered to create a permanent independent Elections Commission which would provide democratic oversight of the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. Some recommendations related to the BVI legal framework, offering to consolidate various legal acts into a single piece of legislation, and to amend it to include the establishment, registration and regulation of political parties. The mission also provided recommendations on the introduction of finance regulations, on party and candidate advertising, voting process, the closing of the polls and the counting of votes.

Head of the mission stated that the BVI 2015 general election was genuine, vibrant and competitive, “providing the voters an opportunity to cast their votes in secret and express their will in a transparent, peaceful and orderly manner.”

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Thursday, September 03, 2015

BVI FSC and Gibraltar FSC signed Memorandum of Understanding


The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission confirmed in the Press Release the signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. The signed document, concerning the supervision of Managers of Alternative Investment Funds, allows for the exchange of information between the two jurisdictions, on matters related to the supervision and oversight of AIFMs, their delegates and depositaries. So, under the MoU, BVI- and Gibraltar regulated funds can operate in both jurisdictions.

The Memorandum was signed on 13 July by Robert Mathavious, the Managing Director/CEO of the BVI FSC, and Samantha Barrass, CEO of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. It is stated in the document how information will be exchanged between the financial regulators, the ways how it will be used, as well as confidentiality, share of information, and the procedures of executing requests for assistance.

Currently, the BVI FSC has signed 27 MoUs related to the supervision of Managers of Alternative Investment Funds.

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Saturday, August 15, 2015

OECD Improved BVI Status as to Tax Transparency


The OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has issued review reports for 12 jurisdictions regarding their compliance to the global standards on taxation transparency and information exchange. Among the countries, there was the British Virgin Islands which was stated to have made improvements of its exchange of information practices under its Phase 2 review, and was moved from the status of “Non-Compliant” to “Largely Compliant” jurisdiction.

The OECD Global Forum is the world’s largest international tax group, including 127 members. The Forum has completed 198 peer reviews and assigned compliance ratings to 80 jurisdictions that have undergone Phase 2 reviews.

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Wednesday, July 08, 2015

BVI FSC Published Financial Services Statistics for Q1 2015


BVI Financial Services Commission has published thirty-eighth volume of the Financial Services Quarterly Statistical Bulletin, which provides statistics and information on financial services activities for the first quarter of 2015. In this period, there were 12,354 new company incorporations in the jurisdiction, - this is an increase compared to 11,436 companies incorporated in the fourth quarter of 2014, but fall in number of companies registered in the first quarter of the previous year (14,062). Cumulative number of companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as at 31 March 2015 was 478,865. Also, there were 1,104 Private Trust Companies and 701 Limited Partnerships registered in the jurisdiction at the end of Q1 2015.

According to the Investment Business statistics, 8 Professional and 4 Private Mutual Fund licences were granted in the first quarter of 2015. As at 31 March, 2015, cumulative number of Professional Mutual Fund licences granted was 1,479, and number of Private Mutual Fund licences was 525. Also, there were 83 Public Mutual Funds and 5 Foreign Mutual Funds registered in the jurisdiction. 

In the Insurance sector, the number of insurers and functionaries has not changed since the fourth quarter of 2014; as at 31 March, 2015, the total number of 221 insurance and functionaries licences was granted in BVI.

In the areas of Legal and Enforcement and International Cooperation, there were 29 enforcement matters in the reported period (24 in the fourth quarter of 2014). Also, the Commission issued statistics regarding ongoing supervision matters reviewed by the Licensing and Supervisory Committee, and the Onsite Inspections. Further information about financial services in the BVI jurisdiction in the first quarter of 2015 can be found on BVI FSC homepage.

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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Caribbean Community Issues Statement on Tax Haven Blacklisting


Following the European Commission’s decision to put some Caribbean jurisdictions – members of the Caribbean Community – on the “black list” as non-willing to co-operate with EU countries in the area of tax law enforcement, CARICOM issued a statement strongly objecting this, and emphasizing efforts of CARICOM member states to comply with regulatory measures.

BVI is among the “blacklisted” countries, along with Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The criteria for considering the countries as non-cooperative included governance (transparency and exchange of information) and fair tax competition.

It is remarkable that in a formal statement issued by the OECD Global Forum this month, it has disassociated itself with the decision of the European Commission, although their own assessment was relevant for the purposes of determining country’s cooperation in tax matters. From the Global Forum statement, it became clear that the EU point of view does not correspond with that of the Global Forum, which, in its turn, is planning to extend support to its member countries put on the black list.

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Monday, June 08, 2015

BVI and Qianhai Held Cooperative Development Forum


On May 26, the Qianhai-British Virgin Islands (BVI) Cooperative Development forum was held in Shenzhen, PRC, hosted by deputy-directors general of Qianhai Authority who provided latest information on Qianhai’s achievements and future plans. More than 200 financial practitioners and enterprise representatives took part in the forum.

Under the name “Development for cross-border finance under new economic circumstances”, the forum included discussions related to cooperation between BVI and Qianhai, BVI business opportunities and legislation. A panel discussion was held named “How to promote the interaction and development of Qianhai and BVI cross-border financial business.”

Director of BVI House Asia, Elise Donovan, represented the advantages of BVI financial services and company structures used for fund management and asset protection, and said that the territory is ready to deepen bilateral relations with China.

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Thursday, May 28, 2015

General Elections 2015: 42 Candidates


In the 2015 general elections in BVI, which will take place on June 8, 42 candidates were nominated in total, of them 13 candidates from the National Democratic Party and the Virgin Islands Party, 5 candidates from the People’s Empowerment Party, 3 candidates from the People’s Progressive Coalition.

At the district level, 6 persons were nominated as independent candidates, and at the territorial at-large lecvel, there are 2 independent candidates nominated.

On Friday, June 5, there will be advance polling day, followed by polling day on Monday.

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Thursday, May 21, 2015

General Elections in BVI to be Held in June


The next general election in the British Virgin Islands is set on June 8, a proclamation was published in the Gazette on May 7. The House of Assembly was dissolved on May 1, 2015.

During the general elections, National Democratic Party (NDP), together with its leader Premier Dr Orlando Smith, will try to defend its majority in the House and, in case of success, it will be the first political party in the jurisdiction ruling for 16 years consecutively.

The main opposition will be represented by Virgin Islands Party (VIP), which is led by Julian Fraser. Former premier and leader of the opposition Ralph O’Neal will not participate in the election 2015. There is also a party, newly launched in March 2014, which can change the final results and the political scene of the country, for the first time since 1995 – the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP), led by sitting member of the House, Alvin Christopher.

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Saturday, May 09, 2015

Report Issued on BVI Financial Services Industry


The BVI government commissioned the report on BVI Financial services sector, which was facilitated by multinational consulting firm McKinsey, with participation of the industry and other stakeholders. The final report named ‘Building on a thriving and sustainable Financial Services sector in the British Virgin Islands’ has the purpose to work out implementation plan to ensure the development of BVI financial services industry.

Premier and minister of finance, Dr Orlando Smith, commented, “For three decades we experienced tremendous growth in our financial services industry, became one of the largest domiciles for company incorporations, and established a global brand that reached through the Americas, into Europe, and across the Asia Pacific Region. Financial services directly account for over 60 percent of our government revenues, and likely upwards of 80 percent of indirect sources are included.”

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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Deputy Premier Represents BVI at ECLAC Session


BVI deputy premier and minister for natural resources and labour, Dr Kedrick Pickering had a meeting with executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Alicia Barcena in Santiago, Chile, during the 16th extraordinary session of the Committee of the Whole of ECLAC, being Territory representative on behalf of the BVI Premier Dr Orlando Smith.

At this session, consultations were held to establish a forum of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on sustainable development, and the deputy premier reiterated the need for the inclusion of associate members in the proposed forum. He spoke about the importance of greater engagement between the organization and the British Virgin Islands as its associate member.

The Committee of the Whole is a subsidiary body of the organization, which gives an opportunity for representatives of member countries to meet between ECLAC official sessions.

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Tuesday, April 14, 2015

GFCI Ranks BVI First among Offshore Jurisdictions


According to the recently published Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), BVI offshore jurisdiction is on the 34th position – 13 positions higher than in the previous list. British Virgin Islands has the highest rank among its competitors, including Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, the Bahamas and Bermuda.

Executive director of BVI Finance, Kedrick Malone, commented on the GFCI results, saying: "… The result of the index clearly shows that the BVI is an internationally respected, established and pioneering financial centre…The BVI's position as the leading offshore financial centre is testament to the strength and high standards of our multi-faceted financial services sector, the professional in its rank and the regulatory regime that it operates within."

The Index is based on the existing information and online survey results taking into account more than hundred different factors, including regulations, workforce, and companies operating in the financial centre and providing financial services.

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Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Revised Guidance Notes on FATCA Published by BVI


BVI jurisdiction has updated guidance notes concerning the international tax compliance requirements under its intergovernmental agreements with the US and the UK, drawing attention to the revised deadline of June 30, 2015, for financial institutions to report with respect to the 2014, for financial institutions to report under the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The original version was issued in July 2015.

Also, it became known that the BVI Financial Account Reporting System (BVIFARS) will be available for use from April 15, 2015, when authorities will start to accept applications for enrolment from reporting financial institutions.

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Workshop on BVI Financial Services Held for Teachers


According to the Ministry of Education of the British Virgin Islands, a training workshop was organized for teachers of secondary schools. The five-day exercise, which was held from March 23 until March 27, had the purpose to educate business teachers on the financial services industry in the jurisdiction, and provide them information to share with students. The training was facilitated by Director of the Financial Services Institute.

Managing Director of LGS and Associates, Mrs Lorna Smith praised the teachers for their willingness to learn about financial services. Also, Minister for Education and Culture of the British Virgin Islands urged them to use information from the workshop to ensure that students are ready to start their careers in the financial services sector.

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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Thirty Seventh Volume of Quarterly Statistical Bulletin Issued by BVI FSC


The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission has published the thirty seventh volume of Statistical Bulletin, providing information about financial services in the BVI for the fourth quarter of the year 2014. In the three months period ended December 2014, 11,436 new Business companies were registered in the jurisdiction, according to the Registry of Corporate Affairs – compared to 13,865 companies incorporated in the third quarter of 2014, and 11,375 companies in the fourth quarter of the previous year. Cumulative number of active BVI BCs as at the December 31, 2014 was 457,971. The statistics shows the slight decrease in the number of new companies incorporated in 2014, as compared to 2013, and the decrease is more significant if compared to the peak years of 2011 and 2012.

In the sector of Investment Business, 11 new licenses were granted to Functionaries, and 28 licenses were issued to Mutual Funds. There were 2,142 Mutual Funds registered/recognised in the British Virgin Islands as at 31 December 2014.

Insolvency Services statistics shows that the total number of Licensed Insolvency Services Practitioners in the fourth quarter of 2014 was 26. In Insurance Services sector, total cumulative number of insurance and functionaries licenses granted at the end of the period was 224.

In the sphere of Legal International Cooperation, in the fourth quarter of 2014 there were 18 international cooperation matters requiring disclosure of non-public information, 2 informal requests and 24 enforcement matters. Further information concerning ongoing supervision matters, referred to the Licensing and Supervisory Committee, the number of concluded onsite inspections and other statistics can be found on the BVI FSC homepage.

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Wednesday, March 04, 2015

BVI House Asia Participates in Asian Wealth Management Forum


BVI represented its offshore services industry at the 5th annual Asia Wealth Management Forum 2015, which was held in Hong Kong, sponsored by BVI House Asia and hosted more than 100 Chief Executive Officers, senior management and other industry practitioners. The themes discussed at the forum included the trends in all segments of the wealth management industry in the region. BVI House Asia were interacting with wealth management practitioners to introduce the presence of the jurisdiction in Asia, and the use of BVI offshore tools and structures in wealth planning schemes.  

The BVI House Asia table included the Director of the BVI House Asia, Elise Donovan, as well as Chief Operating Officer of BVI House Asia Heather Tang, Deputy Director of Banking at the Financial Services Commission of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Michelle Georges, and Team BVI Asia Member Barry Mitchell.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

British Virgin Islands Host EU Meetings


BVI will host three high level European Union meetings, which are scheduled this week with participation of senior EU officials from UK, France, Denmark and Netherlands, as well as OT’s political leaders. By words of Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. D. Orlando Smith, the meetings are the culmination of hard work over the past months. The Premier will co-chair with the European Commission a Caribbean Regional Conference for OTs that will focus on how the territories can work together to achieve sustainable development.

Hon. Orlando Smith will also be the chairman of the OCTA Ministerial Conference where the heads of Government and political leaders will participate in a number of discussions; he will also be the participant of the 13th OCT-EU Forum which is the main vehicle for political dialogue between the European Union and the Overseas Territories. An important part of the talks will be the future of the Overseas Countries and Territories in the European Union.

The British Virgin Islands also manage the project for small and medium sized enterprises on behalf of the Caribbean OTs, which is funded by European Union, and is expected to benefit local small business sector.

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Monday, February 16, 2015

BVI Ranks First Among FDI Investors in Vietnam


Foreign Investment Agency in Vietnam informed that in January 2015 the country has attracted more than US$663 million in FDI, which is 67 per cent higher than in the same period of 2014. The British Virgin Islands is number one investor in the economy of the country, its US$331.32 million making half of the total amount. In January, the BVI launched a luxury clothing production project worth US$300 million.  Other leaders among 15 countries that invested in Vietnam in this month are South Korea, with US$110,25 million, and Hong Kong, with US$105.5 million.

Main spheres for FDI in January are process engineering, wholesale and retail, as well as water and electricity production and distribution. As of January 20, US$505 million of FDI were invested in Vietnam. In 2014, the country attracted US$20 billion.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

UK Opposition Leader Issued Letter to UK Overseas Territories


The leader of the UK Opposition Ed Miliband issued a letter to the leaders of British overseas territories, including the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and others, where he said they would have six months to make a public register of offshore companies, in order not to be put on an international blacklist of countries that refused to take measures against tax avoidance.

Mr. Miliband said: "If any Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency does not meet this deadline, we will ask the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to put them on the OECD's tax haven blacklist."

The plan of the leader of the Labour Party was criticised by Conservative Treasury minister David Gauke who said: "the UK is the only country in the OECD committed to a public central register. He wants the OECD to blacklist countries if they don't do the same as us. But that would mean blacklisting every single country in the OECD apart from the UK – countries like the US, France and Germany.”

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Saturday, January 17, 2015

BVI Government Launches Labour Force Survey


From January 19, 2015, the BVI government will conduct a month long labour force survey in the Virgin Islands, working in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat.

By words of the Director of the Central Statistics Office, Raymond Phillips, this survey provides estimates of employment and unemployment, which are important indicators of economic stability. The survey results will be used to produce employment and unemployment rates, as well as their estimates by industry, private and public sectors, occupation and hours worked.

The labour force survey is funded with resources from the 10th European Development Fund, also support and assistance is provided by the International Labour Organisation and by the EU under the Economic Integration and Trade of the OECS Region project.

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Monday, January 12, 2015

BVI in Top Three of Foreign Investors in Philippines


The Board of Investments of Philippines released foreign investments statistics for 2014, which showed the significant 69.42% decrease if compared to 2013. Netherlands are the top source of foreign investments in the country, while Indonesia became the second FDI source. According to BOI data, Netherlands has seven registered projects in Philippines in 2014, the largest of which was the expansion project of 99% Dutch owned Unilever Philippines Inc.

British Virgin Islands, which remained one of the largest foreign investors of the country, is in the third place of the ranking, followed by Switzerland, UK and Japan; however, its investments have substantially declined as compared to 2013. The biggest investment project of the BVI was the Shangri-La Hotel and Services apartments at the Bonifacio Global City.

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