Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE is away from the Territory attending the United Kingdom Joint Ministerial Council Meetings in London.

The Premier will be away from Saturday, December 1 until Sunday, December 8.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering will act as Premier and Minister of Finance in Premier Smith’s absence.

Honourable Pickering’s appointment is in accordance with Section 55 (1) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 which states, “If the Premier is expected to be absent from the Virgin Islands for more than forty-eight hours, the Governor shall authorise the Deputy Premier to perform the functions of the office of Premier; and the Governor shall revoke this authority on the return to the Virgin Islands of the Premier.”