BVI News

First 2 years of outstanding salary increments will be included in 2019 budget

Premier Andrew Fahie

Two of the three years worth of outstanding salary increments owed to public officers will be paid out this year, Premier and Minister of Finance Andrew Fahie has said.

Premier Fahie said monies for those first two outstanding years will be made available in the 2019 budget, which must be passed by April 30.

“God sparing life, next year we’ll be able to pay the balance of it,” Fahie said on the Honestly Speaking with Claude Skelton Cline radio programme on Tuesday.

NDP’s promise to pay increments by March 15 irresponsible

Leading up to the recently-concluded general election, the former governing National Democratic Party (NDP) said they would have paid all the outstanding increments by mid-March.

But after doing a preliminary assessment of the territory’s finances since taking up office, Premier Fahie described the NDP’s promise as “irresponsible”.

“First of all, it could not be done during this period because we are running on what you call a temporary budget until the [real] budget is passed. Second of all, it (the increments) wasn’t budgeted for,” Premier Fahie argued.

He also noted that government’s Department of Human Resources was not given instructions on the promised March 15 increment payout which, according to the NDP, amounted to roughly $9 million.

“They (the NDP) could not have given instructions because there wasn’t any money [available],” Fahie said while contradicting the former governing party.

Government workers only qualify for increments — which is typically an increase in an employee’s base salary — if they successfully meet performance objectives that are set between employees and their respective managers yearly.

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30 Comments

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  1. Hottie says:

    By virtually any sensible measure the Govt failed in all of its objectives – why are civil servants getting bonuses for poor performance?

    Like 37
    Dislike 29
    • Civil Servant says:

      Did you read the last paragraph or did you just stop at the heading? There are still some of us among those that you speak of, who still work hard especially despite the harsh working conditions which the previous hurricanes left us. There are still some of us who goes beyond what is expected of us though we are at times treated unfairly and underpaid.

      • HRMPH says:

        There is no under paid civil servants in the BVI. It is a shame that your command of English is so poor “go” not “goes”.

        Like 1
        Dislike 2
  2. LCS says:

    Regardless of promises, if the country is broke, how can public service employees expect to get salary increases? It was irresponsible to make this promise when there is no monies in the coffers. Monies coming in is needed for reconstruction. We need to make sacrifices.

    Like 22
    Dislike 17
    • Really?? says:

      These employees too need to fix their houses and stuff and the storms of 2017. If they are paid, they would have not need to rely on the government for assistance. Sometimes we just have to bite the bullet.

      Like 31
      Dislike 7
      • @really says:

        Half of them still not going to fix their houses. They will be buying clothes, car, hair, eyelashes, bags and the likes.

        Like 20
        Dislike 5
    • @LCS says:

      The Territory is NOT BROKE!!!! A broke Territory does not employ 40% of the local population in Government jobs and pay them 100% pension upon retirement when they contribute $0 to the pension scheme.

      Like 25
      Dislike 7
      • LCS says:

        Maybe is the reason why there is no money to rebuild, for schools, hospital, infrastructure, etc. that the country desperate needs. When we say the country “is broke” you need what it means.

    • Truth758 says:

      Is it a salary INCREASE, or an outstanding incremental payment.

  3. Civil service says:

    Must be cut NOW! they take up 90% of the total taxes raised with their salaries! Change your ways now as GOD has spoken through hurricane IRMA

    Like 14
    Dislike 6
  4. WOW says:

    Bald Head did not get away with this nonsense. We all knew better.

    Like 20
    Dislike 5
  5. LOL says:

    The ndp thought we the public servants were stupidy but we showed them how smart we are when we voted them out on 25th Feb.

    Like 31
    Dislike 7
  6. For real says:

    Question? What about persons who has retired and never received there increments.

    Like 7
    Dislike 4
  7. Anonymous says:

    Thank you for considering the moral imperative.

    Many have performed, done their jobs above and beyond required expectations.

    Besides, everyone needs a cost of living and inflation adjustment increase, though even when given, the greedy sharks in the business community will gouge it all back unto themselves.

    So along with needed increments and salary increases should come on the heels thereof some consumer protection legislation.

    If not, the gouging and its subsequent inflicted suffering will only continue in the form of higher cost for everything from cradle to grave items.

    Like 11
    Dislike 2
  8. What Time Is It? says:

    @LoL, we got more to get rid of. God is great.

    Like 3
    Dislike 2
  9. :) says:

    That was one of the biggest problems with NDP, they acted like the government’s money was their own. They budgeted for the East End sewerage then took the money and transferred it to the Pier Park which could be considered a breach of protocol. If they were elected who knows where the money to pay the increments would have been taken from.

    Like 15
    Dislike 2
  10. Quiet Warrior says:

    Employees are often touted as the most valuable resource but are not treated like it. However, they are often a second thought in allocating resources. It is welcome news that employees will get 2 of 3 years in back increments. Why not 3 of 3, bringing things current? Will employees who were employed during this period but has since left the service get back pay? Are increments based on merit or longevity? Another issue to look at is the bloated civil service, and pension unfunded liability.

    Did the $9M Walwyn said was available to pay increments altogether fly away with the thrushies? Why would he make such a bold claim if the money was not in the Treasury? Going forward, the budget year starts on January 01 so the budget should be passed by December 31 of the current year.

    Like 16
    Dislike 2
  11. yolo says:

    thank you for letting the people know how things work now, i am understanding what is happen. With NDP we were clueless with you i now have a clear mind thank you for the up dates.

    Like 14
    Dislike 5
  12. Can we just stop? says:

    Please let us move forward.What NDP has or has not done should not be incert in every blog. This is a new Administration. Whatever NDP Administration was alleged to have done,let them deal with it.

    Like 7
    Dislike 7
  13. Long Live the King says:

    Long live King Andrew

    Like 5
    Dislike 5
    • BVISLANDER says:

      All i see King Andrew doing is wanting to get credit for everything NDP government had in place and is getting done.But don’t worry GOD DON’T SLEEP.

  14. E Scott says:

    A totally unaffordable civil service that is ineffective . A 0 % contribution pension with100% pay out . That does not work and will bankrupt BVI that the sort of scheme a child would set up because they don’t know better oh and like Greece set up that broke them and nearly broke the EU

  15. Anonymous says:

    We are in no position to chart our course, financial or other, if the United Kingdom has to approve any or all aspects of our finances.

    No foreign entity should have such control over another country’s finances.

    That is simply dictatorial and should have no place in modern human political existence. Keeping it simple.

    The time has come t begin the VEXIT. I am personally offended and quite vexed by this. I am a grown a-** country and can take care of my own affairs.

    Lastly, no one prove legitimate ownership of me by the UK. The methods of colonialization, sail the seas, conquer, steal, murder, exterminate and claim ownership is not legal tender ownership. Just keeping it simple for now.

    This bull shiggiddy disgusting. So, if they don’t afford our budget, we don’t feed our children, pay our bills, fix our homes and afford paper to wipe our a**. That is vexing bullshuggiddy!!!

  16. LCS says:

    Maybe is the reason why there is no money to rebuild, for schools, hospital, infrastructure, etc. that the country desperate needs. When we say the country “is broke” you need what it means.

  17. Anonymous says:

    This bull shiggiddy is disgusting. So, if they don’t approve our budget, [and they should not have power of that kind of power us and our money] we don’t feed our children, pay our bills, pay our mortgage, fix our homes and afford paper to wipe our a**.

    That is vexing bullshuggiddy!!!

    This suggest a people who has undue control over others and who can take and or give from them as they so chose.

    That is a very bad condition for any people to be in.

  18. Duh says:

    It is overall cheaper to keep people on a set salary and pay quarterly bonus based on personal and department performance. The current cost of the civil service is untenable in the long term and needs to be dealt with. New employees should start paying pension premiums.
    The annual budget is $350 million and $4.5 million of that each year is for bonus ontop of the salary and pension bill?? That is stupid. More of the services should be online so people can enter info and pay online which would reduce costs.
    Plus if sooo many of the BVI population is employed by the government, how are you ever going to reduce the number of people in the private sector on work permits? Encouraging more people out into the private sector is needed.

  19. Anonymous says:

    The Government should also look in to those retired public servants especially the teachers who worked hard with their entire life educating the people of BVI.. They may had taught all of those in the position now. They need to check how much $$$ they receiving from their pensions. Remember, without them, you guys will not be in the position you are in right now. Often times, teachers are being taken for granted for what they had contributed to the community, and country as a whole. I knew of one, that she had devoted her entire life in teaching primary students, giving them an excellent foundation and saw them successful in their chosen life, but, the amount of money she receive every month from her pension, is not even enough to pay her monthly bills and food. It is ashamed that we tend to forget them.
    Teacher is just one of those people who had a very huge contribution on this country. There are others as well like those in medical field.
    So, I hope this current government will take a look on that and do something to help them.

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