2016 in the British Virgin Islands

Events from the year 2016 in the British Virgin Islands.

← 2015 2014 2013 2016 in the BVI → 2017 2018 2019
Decades:
See also:	Other events of 2016 Timeline of BVI history

Mossack Fonseca, the company at the centre of the 2016 Panama Papers leak.

Incumbents

• Governor: John Duncan
• Premier: Orlando Smith

Events

January

• 1 January 2016 - The National Health Insurance scheme comes into effect.[1]
• 12 January 2016 - Government announces a controversial $7 million investment in startup BVI Airways.[2]
• 20 January 2016 - The inaugural Virgin Islands General Legal Council is appointed, headed by Dancia Penn QC.[3]
• 25 January 2016 - Minister of Works Mark Vanterpool announces that the public pier park project was cost $85 million, more than double the original budget of $35 million.[4]

March

• 19 March 2016 - The BVI is affected by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake. No major damage is reported.[5]

April

• 3 April 2016 - The Panama Papers are published, revealing the previously confidential beneficial owners of a large number of companies incorporated in the Territory.[6][7]

June

• 23 June 2016 - The House of Assembly adopts the Virgin Islands pledge.[8]

July

• 22 July 2016 - It is announced that Elinah Phillip will represent the British Virgin Islands at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first time a swimmer has represented the Territory at the games.[9]
• 31 July 2016 - Gunfire was shot at or near to the Premier's vehicle; the Premier, Orlando Smith, was not in the vehicle at the time.[10]

August

In August the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic first affected the BVI.

• 22 August 2016 - Billionaire BVI resident Sir Richard Branson is injured in a serious cycling accident on Virgin Gorda.[11]
• 25 August 2016 - Five cases of the Zika virus are confirmed in the Territory as part of a wider global outbreak.[12]

September

• 29 September 2016 - Former Premier Ralph O'Neal suffers a stroke.[13]

October

• 1 October 2016 - The minimum wage raised from $4 an hour to $6 an hour.[14]
• 17 October 2016 - The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council rules against HM Customs in a long running dispute with Delta Petroleum.[15]

November

• 28 November 2016 - The National Health Insurance scheme suspends benefits for over 1,000 workers because of their employer's failure to pay contributions.[16] This action is subsequently agreed to be unlawful.[17]

December

• 27 December 2016 - Government awards the contract for the expansion of Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport to China Communications Construction Company for US$153,432,572.10.[18] It is the largest government contract awarded in the Territory's history, and concerns are expressed about the company's bidding practices.[19]

Footnotes

1. "It's A Celebration; We Listened - Skelton On NHI". BVI Platinum. 4 January 2016.
2. "BVI invests $7M in airline owned by bank". BVI News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
3. "Penn appointed head of 7-member legal council". BVI News. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
4. "Pier/park project overshot budget by $48M (speech)". BVI News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
5. "BVI affected by 6.0 magnitude earthquake". BVI News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
6. "Giant leak of offshore financial records exposes global array of crime and corruption". OCCRP. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. 3 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
7. "BVI hit by another major leak of records". BVI News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
8. "It's Official! Virgin Islands Has Territorial Pledge". Retrieved 28 September 2017.
9. "BVI sending first swimmer to Olympics". BVI News. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
10. "Man shot – premier's driver happy to be alive". BVI News. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
11. "A helmet saved my life – Branson in serious crash". BVI News. 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
12. "Health Officials Confirm Five Cases Of Zika Virus". DDM. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
13. "Former premier taken to hospital". BVI News. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
14. "Minimum Wage Increase Effective October 1". Government News Service. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
15. Commissioner of Customs v Delta Petroleum (Caribbean) Limited [2016] UKPC 27 (17 October 2016)
16. "As promised: NHI suspends over 1,000 employees". BVI New. 8 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
17. "We can't suspend people, NHI finally admits". BVI News. 24 February 2017.
18. "Chinese company selected for airport project". BVI News. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
19. "Blacklisted Chinese bridge building company has history of backhander deals". The Independent. 21 July 2014. The blacklisted state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) that gifted Malta a ‘free’ €4 million feasibility study on building a bridge between Malta and Gozo has a history of greasing the palms of officials in third world countries.