Festival Committee, others will now be compensated
Members of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIFFC) will now be compensated for their contributions, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has declared.
Dr Wheatley made the disclosure during the opening of the Irene Penn-O’Neal Festiville earlier this week.
The Premier thanked committee members for their sacrifice thus far and emphasised that they are all currently volunteering.
“I have to say to you that it is my intent and my promise that I am going to compensate this committee for the work that they have done and compensate the other committees which were appointed under my leadership because they work hard and they deserve it,” Dr Wheatley said.
He also commended committee members for their efforts at controlling the finances of the event and for ensuring that local artistes are fully involved. Dr Wheatley said the committee has also ensured an entertainment lineup that persons want to come to experience.
Just recently, Chairman of the VIFFC, Dirk Walters shared that there were tremendous sacrifices being made by persons on the festival committees and sub-committees — all of whom are all volunteers.
“It is easy for persons to just make comments and say this and that, but how many of us actually make the sacrifices away from our families, away from making money. We could have been on vacations, could have been sailing,” Walter said. “We know what we signed up for, but we called on so many great persons from within the community to contribute and help us out. I just wanna really articulate that I personally appreciate each and everyone.”
Meanwhile Premier Wheatley also expressed appreciation for the committee’s hard work and their efforts at organising the festival celebrations. He commended the persons who are on the committee for the leadership that they have demonstrated.
“Leadership is not easy and it’s very easy for persons to always criticise,” the Premier said. “[It’s easy] to stand the sidelines and not be involved in anything and criticise those who sacrifice their time to make sure that we have these celebrations and these events.”
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They cannot fix the roads. They cannot fix the water problem. They cannot pay the civil servant’s increments. Yet hear this cl**n giving money to a committee that has done this work as their community contributions from the time our festival started. I could bet the people on these committees did not ask to get paid. I can’t even find words anymore to describe this man. So once you start paying you will have to continue doing it. What a f**l!
And exactly who are the “others”. ?
Just hush your dumb @$$. Why you dont go out there and work all kind of ungodly hours for free. You are the biggest fool
The best of the VIP is giving away taxpayers money.
SHEEP getting the bulk while POPEYE is shot out once again.
At this point, there is nothing the guy can say or do to impress. There does not seem to be much to him at all. Not a good leader. It would have been obvious already. A sad situation.
I weep for our County!
@Edge – you say all that needs to be said!
Still can’t believe they named the fairgrounds after that woman either! At day’s end, and the way things are going in this Country, I suppose it has an ironic twist that the village would be named after someone who is of character.
Bring your rass VG to out this inferno stop talking piddle
he got so many contracts he can buy his stage 20 time over for the ridiculous price he charge. I feel it’s about time the festival committee get their own stage. This is ridiculous with the kind of money dissed out to these people for stage. RIDICULOUS
You shouldn’t do it if you can’t afford to. Did you join the committee just to get money?
How many years * was shot out while * raped the Treasury although he had the highest bid. Every contract given by the Government should be based on who can provide the service required at the best price. As far as I am aware it was always *. “Favors” are now a thing of the past!!
If * want to provide service next year, he better start thinking about reducing his costs in order to be more competitive. It’s no longer who you are, and who you know!!
The perks should be enough if you ask me, we have a territory to run and we’re running it right into the ground. The committee members get to see the artists perform for free, they eat for free, etc.
Is it really for free? Last time I checked Mr. Walters is employed by a statutory body and you have to ask, is Tourist Board getting his full attention during this period or are they paying him a salary while he runs the festival committee? Yes, he is working late hours, etc but to say he is not getting paid at all is not correct. I guarantee you he is doing a lot of the work for festival and fairs during the day on tourist board time.
would be better for Festival ‘volunteers’. The BVI had virtual festivals in 2020 and 2021 so virtual pay this year and keep all the tax money in the BVI Treasury.
Government should not be managing or controlling festivals. It should remain a volunteer organization.
So to clear some air, Will they be paid for the amount of years they contributed? How will the paying scale be done? Will it be every year or monthly, Even though there does be activities before and after festivities events? This has been mentioned in the past 15 yeears before and it will really be a good idea to compensate them for their effortless days and nights of HARD WORK!!!
this festival committee is the PITS everybody think them running the fetching show and all them doing is killing people who trying to make money
Now the government will compensate the Festivals & Fairs Committee, among others, so they’ll get paid for wasting money.
I really liked this part: “Leadership is not easy and it’s very easy for persons to always criticise,” the Premier said. “[It’s easy] to stand the sidelines and not be involved in anything and criticise those who sacrifice their time to make sure that we have these celebrations and these events.”
You’d think that these people are working on finding a cure for cancer…
when do people tire of the clario call of “breaking the shackles of Colonialism?” Compare the BVI to Bermuda, and ask yourselves why one Territory is doing so much better than the other. Start by examinng the percentage of the populace employed by the government and also how many paid holidays each Territory has in place. Which one has a culture that embraces a work ethic and privte enterprise? There are many more pertinent questions, but those are a good place to start.
Money for free concert and voluntary committees but still not to pay public servants. This would be a great weekend for Fire Services at the airport to strike!