BVIAA staff misses social security contributions for months, SFC hears
The BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) has been unable to pay the Social Security Board (SSB) contributions of its staff for several months.
This is according to the 2022 report on the House of Assembly’s (HOA) Standing Finance Committee (SFC) budget deliberations held in November and December of last year.
During the deliberations, Opposition Leader Marlon Penn asked the number of months the entity had been in arrears.
According to Penn, he received reports that the BVIAA was being by some 10 months. But Director at the SSB, Jeanette Scatliffe-Boynes, disputed this time-period and indicated that BVIAA might just be some three months in default.
According to the SSB Director, while the statutory agency had already paid its dues for the months of September, October and November, contributions for June, July, and August were due, up to the time of the SFC deliberations late last year.
Furthermore, Scatliffe-Boynes informed that the SSB, in collaboration with BVIAA, made arrangements to ensure that its employees did not suffer.
The Director informed the SFC that the SSB will meet with BVIAA sometime in the first quarter of 2022 to ensure that arrears are received.
Employee could not receive sickness benefits
Penn, after hearing this, requested confirmation from the Director since he said evidence suggests that the contributions of more than one employee of the BVIAA was in arrears for 10 months, and consequently, one individual could not receive sickness benefits.
Scatliffe-Boynes once again indicated that she was not aware of the 10 months.
The Director stated that at the time, the BVIAA did not pay the contributions to an amount that would trigger the benefits. However, she noted that the agency later paid arrears for two months, enabling the persons to receive the sickness benefits.
Pandemic’s effects led to BVIAA’s arrears
Meanwhile, following a question from Premier Andrew Fahie about the reason for the arrears, Scatliffe-Boynes informed the SFC that the BVIAA was not generating revenue due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
The Opposition Leader then asked for confirmation that the pandemic had indeed caused the BVIAA not to pay contributions that were deducted from employees’ wages.
The Director in responding, elaborated that the BVIAA, due to the long-term effects of the pandemic, was unable to pay their 4.5% portion of the contributions.
Premier Fahie stated that the situation with the BVIAA employees was unfortunate, but to rectify the problem, the government ensured it made the arrangements with the SSB to ensure that it does not reoccur.
He further highlighted that the territory is progressing well in terms of tourism and will move forward with vigilance.
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THINGS REALLY ROUGH WITH ALL OF US
The VIP Government is unable to manage the BVI territory from a financial point of view. Issues reported now at Health Services, Labour department and now also the Airport Authority. You wonder what Patsy Lake & family are doing on all these Boards…
You mean to say more NDP material to flabagas them empty belly on.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS. BET SHE COLLECTING HER RENT AND MONIES FOR SITTING ON THOSE BOARDS. IT’S TIME THE PEOPLE STAND THEIR GROUNDS AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST THESE DAMNING TRANSACTIONS( THAT WHAT I CALLED ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER) THE PREMIER IS THROWING THE WHOLE VIP UNDERGROUND.
THEY NOT PAYING OUR PENSIONS TO!!!!!!!!!
“Meanwhile, following a question from Premier Andrew Fahie about the reason for the arrears, Scatliffe-Boynes informed the SFC that the BVIAA was not generating revenue due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.”
but tell me?. How does Ms. Scatliffe Boynes get to speak on behalf of the BVIAA?
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS. BET SHE COLLECTING HER RENT AND MONIES FOR SITTING ON THOSE BOARDS. IT’S TIME THE PEOPLE STAND THEIR GROUNDS AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST THESE DAMNING TRANSACTIONS( THAT WHAT I CALLED ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER) THE PREMIER IS THROWING THE WHOLE VIP UNDERGROUND.
When folks become of age and retire,depending on their unforthcoming Social Security for survial ,the VI will simply be another dirt poor speck of Caribbean folks with the self destruct culture and customs of those we have chosen with status for negating who we were.
Made and produced by the professed ministers and holy greedy eyes,undeveloped brains and lack of foresight.
That literally means BVIAA has not been paying their employees and are in breach of their contract with them and the law.
Paying employee obligations is the very last thing that should be missed. Who did continue to be paid? That’s a rhetorical question. It’s pure evidence of gross mismanagement.
This is NOTHING NEW, some government working and retired employees have had standard monthly deduction from their salaries for life, health and MASA. The deductions are automatically and religiously deducted from salaries but are NEVER paid in untime to the various institutions. This is NO secound hand information!
This is theft. No law against this ? The government want to put a stop to this and they’re doing it themselves!!!! Banana Republic.
This is theft. Especially since it was being deducted from the employees wages. I hope they are fined.
Airport have too many employees…why do we need so many security officers when we barely have flights.
Airport have too many employees…why do we need so many security officers when we barely have flights.
Regulators from overseas demands it, they have to obey or face hefty fines
It is required by assi
In 2020 all lower staff salaries (so managers and board members were safe) where cut by 25% and the staff have yet to see 1 cent of their monies return!
I am an employee of the BVIAA and I check my contributions with SSB often. As of NOW, my contributions are outstanding for February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December 2021 and now January 2022. That is the status of EVERY EMPLOYEE working with BVIAA now. I didn’t get any information on the NHI side, so I can’t say what the status is.
What I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that BVIAA paid our contributions for January, August and September 2021 only. All the other months are outstanding.
I don’t know how the Director of SSB could have given that false information to the Standing Finance Committee. The Opposition Leader is correct and Mrs. Scatliffe-Boynes knows that BVIAA is NOT in good standing with the SSB and appears to be covering up.
@ Sugar, It is ah ting for incoming governments to secure thir votes by keeping promises to their constitutions by handing out jobs especially to unqualified young hang on the corner persons. In 1st district, some was taken off the corner and place in Port Authorities where the ONLY collect a salary and do not work for it. At their hiring, present employees was on reduced pay and hours. No constructive maths, does not add up
Bevis the Problem.Patsy the solution.i am not a fan of Patsy. As a matter a fact I love Bevis as a person I know both of them very well for more than 30 yrs. One thing they have in Common they both dont care about people, the difference is that Patsy will do whats right.. She wont break the law..
the bvi is really not a real place . How can employers get away with this ?? The money is being ducted from your salary but not being paid in ? that is theft . SSB don’t have no structure !
Look out for the new tax or fee they gon implement now to “cover” for this. Taxpayers i fear, will feel this, stealing from the ppl to still turn around and tax them for that same theft. These bodies neeeeeed to start being held accountable. Nobody is ENFORCING and holding accountable, the persons who are put to head these bodies. this is absolutely and utterly ridiculous!!! the infrastructure is crumbling right before our eyes.
You’ll disgusting with this social security taking out employees pay and not paying it, government slack too with the employers. My friend went on maternal leave three months now and can’t get her benefits because her boss taking it out her pay and not paying social security. Time for this s**t to stop, person have families too!!!