Gov’t concerned: Public officers working weekends to facilitate COI
Public officers are being forced to work weekends and at “extraordinary hours” to meet the demands of the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI).
This is according to government ministers who have raised serious concerns about what they describe as a “large and growing diversion” of government resources to the COI.
“The accumulated strains on the public service of dealing with the COI’s requests for evidence and further demands for documents, often at very short notice, is untenable,” said the ministers who have doubled down on Premier Andrew Fahie’s call for a pause in the proceedings of the Inquiry.
In a statement released by the Premier’s Office this week, ministers complained that while the COI has indicated six general areas of inquiry, usually it only gives a week’s notice to the witnesses – many of whom are public officers – it would call.
It further said public officers have many other daily priorities so it is important to recognise that the limited human resources of the public service are supposed to serve residents.
The government said all these issues are compounded by the fact that the requests are made at a time when it is grappling with the most dangerous COVID-19 outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic.
COI says document requests made weeks ahead
But the COI said in an update issued Wednesday that their requests to the government were issued weeks before the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. The COI further said substantial documents it requested are still outstanding despite multiple extensions of deadlines previously granted to the government.
The Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, said while he is sensitive to the fact that the current COVID-19 situation in the BVI now makes it more difficult for some government departments, it is vital that the outstanding documents be provided as soon as possible to enable focused hearings to resume.
The COI said it will not hold hearings in August.
The government said it hopes requests for affidavits and additional information from ministries is also halted while the COI adjourns for “summer holiday”.
“The halt would have indeed put already overwhelmed public officers and all officials in a better position to put their full attention in dealing with containing the spread and spike of COVID-19 in the Virgin Islands,” the government has said.
And as the COI has been extended for an additional six months, the government has called for “a clear structure and timetable for the hearings, with notice of the subject matter for those hearings set out well in advance, so that the government can plan its resources and the time of public servants accordingly”.
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I can see the headline for the OTHER site “Public officers forced to work like slaves all weekend”
You can see they are working their bodies to the bone.
So it took a COI to actual make the public servants work? Need to have a COI year round. Better yet dispose of the dead wood. Work like slaves? Lmfao. The Belonger hadn’t worked like a slave for 200 years . They just don’t work…..unless they are emptying the government coffers.
He must be joking! I’ve worked weekends periodically for 22 years when the need arises. Why shouldn’t government workers do the same?
Did Fahie not anticipate that the government would need to do extra photocopying for the COI? Surely he must have known that.
IfYa didn’t thief so much money none of this would have been necessary. IfYa didn’t go crying to Gus about how crooked the last Government was … and then do the exact same thing … none of this would have been necessary.
The coi does not care about blacks set of oppressors
Hi folks. Just so you know, any of the many posts that say “set of oppressors” or similar are from one very grumpy individual who hates white people and is probably sitting in his underwear scratching his balls furiously while thinking of new ways to be bitter but making sure he includes those words.
The very point of the COI is to stop our oppressors.
Look at all those incompetent and clueless people in one picture. Remarkable!
Yet there is no concern of statutory body employees who took pay cuts
No concern of barbers,hair dressers, waiters etc. out of work
There are 951 employees listed in the Government’s Phone Directory. Surely one of them can do a bit of photocopying
Is it not normal for elected officials to work ‘extraordinary hours’ 9.30 am start, 60 minutes smart phone adjustment, 15 minutes bathroom break or 40 minutes if constipated, 1.5 hours contract splitting major works, 2 hours lunch eating at local favourite fish restaurant, 1 hour sleep off in ‘LazyBoy’ office chair, 30 minute phone call to betting syndicate, 5 minute phone call arranging date with someone else’s wife, Total work day 6-6.5 hours if lucky. It’s a hard life.
This is a state of emergency. Do the work whether it is on the week-end or in the evening, and not funking whine! Do not forget that you all have already paid yourself!
@Tom You and your kind are the oppressors.
Is showing us true value for money. Thieving government officials have been taking from US the PEOPLE for 40 years!
this is probably the first time half of them doing some real work. We so accustom of mediocrity and getting rewarded for it we don’t know better.
Is all the inconsistencies, questionable dealings and mishandling of public funds that became normal over the years put us where we are.
We are so accustom of concentrating on one thing at a time that we feel everything must stop and we get pity because we are in a situation. Hey, life must go on with all respect. Every single witness over the months blamed Irma, Maria, covid and we are a small community as excuses for how they performed. We need to get off our high horses and humble weself
What exactly are govt employees doing to fight the covid outbreak? Outside of health workers who I don’t think are involved in the Coi I can’t think of anything govt workers are having to do different right now? In fact many of their offices aren’t doing anything because they are closed or staying home. What better time to get your s**t together as your offices shouldn’t be busy. What am I missing here?
Omg, I have had to lie down. Government workers have had to work weekends, shock horror. And actually work, not sleep at their desks or off sick? Oh dear.
Maybe if the job had been done properly in the first place and papers filed correctly ( or better still put on computers ) it would be a lot easier to retrieve them.
Of course there is always the thought that there are people who dont want the papers found. And that some papers, like the consultants contracts and the list of who got the money, simply never existed.
And ask the workers at the incinerator at Pockwood Pond how many Government papers were burned recently. I was told that one non-Government company was told to go away as the incinerator was not accepting any more Government papers to be destroyed!
If you had proper systems in place and good record keeping, persons wouldn’t need to work “extraordinary hours’ to facilitate the CoI.
Seriously Andrew?
And with all that extreme labour and time,their affidavits and documents are woefully incomplete or nonexistent or in disarray and the worldwide available in real time interviews are a lifetime embarrassment? Much like their daily productivity and performance have been all these years.
It would be a disservice to the VI and its people if the UK does not see fit to take control of the VI’s Government.
If the players had been honest and above board, this wouldn’t be happening. You play, you pay.
Obviously Mr Premier what this shows is the fact that the bvi government record keeping is in total disarray. How are we going to blame the COI for the total lack of effectiveness and inefficiencies of the government. You were never prepared for eventualities. You are the government lead by example keep your house in order. Who is running the government, why is your files not in order. More interesting who is to blame for the disarray, each department,each head of department each permanent secretary and ultimately you as head of government. If your officers cant do what is required then damm well hire folks who can. Don’t come mascarading about what ideally is your fault. Damm well get your records in order. If you were in the private sector you would be fired. Tired, really tired Andrew of your constant crying. Bvi is in a mess if you cant fix it then damm well step aside and give someone else the job. You said you can run the government we gave you on a platter and now this crap you are telling us. Gone already. I am fed up with you and your whining.
Oh man perish the thought that someone around here NOT in the service industry should be forced to work outside the 9:00 am and 4:59 pm Monday to Friday hours….
“limited human resources of the public service” don’t we have one of the most overstaffed public services per capita of anywhere in the world?
Andrew Fahie, You might be better off if you go somewhere in a corner and cry instead of telling us these lies when we know better. The COI has been asking for documents way in advance but you and your government are not cooperating with them when your people show up they don’t have half the documents that were requested weeks before. You and your government are the ones who are holding up this COI. They are gone for the month of August use that time to get the documents together. Maybe the COI should just quit and turn us over to the Governor, or maybe you can go and complain to your friends CARICOM and Gaston A. Browne, Birds of a feather. GOOD LUCK
In my best colloquial:
Andrew man, you know how chupid you sound on top ah allyo embarrassin we in da chupid lookin photo op?? Schuppss..allyo get out may face hmm!!
It is much more likely the public officers are crying foul because they actually have to do some work…. They’re so used to come in for 9am… go for breakfast 9.30… back 11.30… lunch 12… back at 2pm… clock out at 3pm…. the whole system is a JOKE and it is why nobody can get anything done.
Yo mek da dawgl sick! Everday you in news media about COI!! A real leader would be more concerned about his people and their well being! A true leader bring comfort ,help, prayer etc to their people..what are you doing??
Can the opposition take over, please? Hon. Fahie, you clearly can’t lead, if your government was efficient and listening to the people we wouldn’t have been here. You single-handedly made a mess of this country, Don’t blame the COI for a few weeks of the staff working to get documents you should be making sure they do them the correct manner than cry foul. It’s your negligence we are in this, simple documents they need, the COI is working the same hours to review all these documents and investigate, while you have time to say this crap. Big man suck up your failing pride and do good by the people from talking like you can get away with the COI.
Thats a non issue. Thats weak, very weak leadership to making this an issue…Didnt the same public officers were getting full pay for no work during the months of lockdown..Make them understand that….
Mr Premier do you really need the complete cabinet to make a statement. You can see by their faces they don’t really want to be there. Check the deputy face. That is not from being over worked. That is from fear of the space getting smaller, the rope getting tighter. We really need to release these poor souls from their burden of labor. This is obviously above their capabilities while not above their pay grade. Mr Governor please do something. Somewhere along the road they will blame you Governor for not stepping in.
This is what you all voted for because of pettiness and now you complaining. Take your blows ans shut the h**l up! The VIP didnt announce ONE SINGLE PLAN when they campaigned yet you voted for them and now complaining. Suck it up for another 2yrs.
The BVI Natives cannot blame THIS FIASCO on the Expats.
Shameful.
Nobody complained about a thing!! This is just the Premier and their Counsel playing victim as usual! The fact that the COI has asked for information weeks and months in advance and it cannot be provided says all aboutour system and why we needed a COI in the firsr place. In many cases the govt are wilfully witholding information from the COI.
Nice for the government to get to feel how the rest of the people are working on island for a change to make ends meet. They trashed the economy the last two years with the false starts at opening the borders, Killed the tourism industry. Nice to have paycheck coming in for them whilst the rest of us work just to pay bills and nothing left after that.
Boo Hoo
As soon as the COI gone on a break, this man voice is the loudest and seemingly every where now.
What is wrong with working an extra day here or there? We have people who do this on a regular basis and do not complain.
Look Ma! Zee plane, zee plane.
Where was Andrew for the past 3 weeks.
F*t Albert was in Haiti! The real reason why I am not too sure; they say the assassinated President’s funeral…….OR topping up OB#$H!
What parallel universe are these people in? BVI going through the worst crisis in living memory and we have moaning about photocopying. Man up, get off your knees and provide some leadership, or go back to your shredder and let someone else take over.
Deflect! Deflect! Deflect! Sounding like Trump! If your administration is soo dis-organized you dont need to be in office! People are dropping like flies all around..yet to hear you bring a word of comfort to familes..where is your compassion your empathy? Go learn what it mean to be a man of INTEGRITY!!
@ Island Peeps, that was too funny.
IT IS SAID THAT A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS ( TO ME THEY ARE PORTRAYING A ROLE OF TIREDNESS OR ( LOST SHEEP ) LOOKING SYMPATHY FROM THE SAME PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE RIPPING OFF / THESE PRETENDERS SHOULD BE IN HOLLYWOOD / ITS SO APPALLING
I am guessing this is the work that should have been started and completed weeks ago when it was first asked for.
You had me at hello, but I can’t wait to say goodbye. I didn’t think you could be worse than those bloody NDP useless t**ts, but your ignorance, your lack of vision and your arrogance has been beyond bearable. Get your sh*te together and stop whining. All you useless politicians for the last umpteenth years have made the COI necessary. Accept the responsibility that you and your predecessors have failed the people of the BVI miserably. Our ancestors of this land who paid dearly for us to have this freedom are probably rolling in their graves.