Last Wednesday, Hurricane Irma passed through the BVI as a Category 5 hurricane, causing severe damage to the region. With sustained winds of 185 mph, it was one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history.
There is considerable damage to homes, property and infrastructure. Our immediate priority has been the safety of our colleagues and their families, several of which were evacuated over these last five days.
Although our office is intact, it will remain closed whilst we better assess communication capabilities. Our teams on the ground and globally have worked tirelessly to set-up temporary access, so our colleagues from the BVI office can work remotely and continue to address client matters.
Robert Briant, Partner said, "First and foremost we are happy to report that all of our colleagues from the BVI office are safe. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and well-wishes during this difficult time. Hurricane Irma has brought a great deal of devastation to the BVI. However, the outpouring of support globally and resilience of residents provides assurance that the Island will recover".
The BVI Government is also committed to restoration of resources in the financial services sector. Premier Dr. the Hon. D. Orlando Smith, OBE, released a statement saying that, BVI FInancial Services Commission, which houses other services such as the corporate registry, survived and were able to reopen the online company registration portal, VIRRGIN, to full functionality.