Scrapping Trade Commission Leaves BVI Vulnerable, says
Political commentator Claude Skelton-Cline has renewed his criticism of the Virgin Islands Government’s decision to halt the Trade Commission, saying the move has left the territory economically exposed and that "the economic paralysis is setting in." Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM on July 7, he repeated calls for the government to restore the Commission’s functions and raised concerns about widespread hardship among seniors and pensioners.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola — Political commentator Claude Skelton-Cline has sharply renewed his criticism of the government’s decision to halt the Territory’s Trade Commission, warning the Virgin Islands is becoming economically paralysed. Speaking on his radio programme Honestly Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM on Tuesday, July 7, Skelton-Cline said he felt compelled to repeat his warnings: "Right now this country economically, despite of what you hear, right now the paralysis is setting in; the economic paralysis is setting in." Using the saying "a hungry man is an angry man," he added there was "real suffering and pain in the Virgin Islands," saying "people really can’t make ends meet.
Seniors are really suffering, some of them isolated. Pensioners are having a difficult time." Skelton-Cline has long objected to the government’s decision to pause and effectively dismantle the Trade Commission’s implementation. He said the idea for a Trade Commission dates to 2004–2005, when successive administrations began developing policy to modernise commercial laws and create an independent regulator to oversee trade, competition and consumer rights.
That process produced the Trade Commission Act, passed in 2020, and the Commission was formally established late in 2022. Following the April 2023 General Election, the new Virgin Islands Party administration paused the Commission’s roll-out while conducting a policy review. Junior Minister for Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation Lorna Smith — who serves as an At-Large member of the House of Assembly — told the House that the review found significant overlap between the Commission’s proposed functions and existing departments.
The government argued a separate statutory authority would add bureaucracy and public expense, and proposed strengthening consumer protections through amendments instead. Those changes are being pursued via the Consumer Protection Amendment Bill, 2026, which remains before the House.
Skelton-Cline rejected that approach, arguing the territory lacks an independent body to handle trade policy, competition oversight and consumer protection. He told listeners a board and chair had already been put in place and accused Hon. Smith of "dismantling, dismantling, decimated the Trade Commission," saying nearly 15–16 years of policy development had been thrown away.
On air he also alleged — according to his remarks reported by VINO — that Smith crossed the floor after the 2023 election, a move that helped give the VIP a majority and paved the way for the Commission’s undoing. He warned recent international shifts, including changing US tariff policies, show why an independent trade body is necessary and said there is no plan to diversify the economic agenda.
Skelton-Cline urged the government to reconsider and restore the Trade Commission’s functions, arguing the territory must choose whether to invest in new statutory institutions or rely on existing departments to adapt as global pressures mount before the next election.
Primary source: Guavaberry