Greedy bill gave retired politicians up to $10K per month
Sixth District Representative Myron Walwayn has pointed out that some retired politicians already collected up to $10,000 per month under the controversial “Greedy Bill”, although sections of the law were finally thrashed in the House of Assembly on September 19.
Elected leaders yesterday agreed to remove offensive sections of the controversial Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021 which granted lawmakers lump sum payments, gratuity and guaranteed salaries after leaving office.
But Walwyn said such a move should never have happened, pointing out that retired politicians have been collecting in the region of $10,00 per month since the law was passed in 2021.
“Can you imagine? You go by the government’s treasury every month to pick up a salary like you’re working and you’re not working. How could that be right? What could have been in the minds of persons to feel like they could take advantage of the people and the treasury like that?” Walwyn questioned.
“Just in the last sitting, we passed about $1.4 million to address this issue. Any minister who sat in the last House of Assembly is picking up $10,000. Every backbencher is going to pick up $8,000 and they’re not working. That cannot be right,” Walwyn stated.
Walwyn also stated that the VIP administration passed the law to benefit themselves, adding that they appointed more than one Deputy Minister during their time in office to make their members eligible for more money after retiring.
He called the bill a “legislative deception” saying the Fahie-administration brought one version to the House of Assembly, but later passed another version which gave politicians more money than what was initially agreed on.
“If we didn’t have the outcry about this bill, the people of the BVI would have been paying two governments at the same time — one that’s working and one that’s not working. We have got to start doing things differently,” Walwyn explained.
After Walwyn’s speech, lawmakers who helped to pass the Greedy Bill stood and rebutted the point that the bill was made to serve the VIP. They say the bill was passed in an attempt to improve the welfare of elected leaders who sometimes suffer after leaving office.
But no one explained why one version of the bill was presented to the public while a second one was later passed, which gave politicians even more money after retirement.
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This man done get a lump sum of retirement money from the same bill and now talking piddle. Tell him give back the money he got.
Whether or not we are for the bill it is important to state that Myron is intentionally misleading the public. He knows all bills come to the House one way and then after debate and discussions by all 13 elected members then changes to the original form of the bill are made to produce a final draft that is passed. To do otherwise would be a dictatorship which means HOA would just be a rubber stamp which it is not. Marlon help passed the last nill and so did Mitch & Fraser. The record show they help make some changes & there was no objection to the final version of the Bill that was passed. THIS PROCEDURE HAPPENS FOR ALL BILLS. Next when I read the bill it was addressing those payments for a short time for persons who served more than three 4yr terms. Last, he benefited from the same bill, collected his money, done spend it, and now come speak to us the public as if we are @#$.
The VIP dutty
A man who is arrested on corruption and facing possible jail time is in the parliament speaking as if he is whiter than snow. He is also a hypocrite as he got his retirement money and benefited from the same bill and now he done eat and wipe his mouth he is here saying what he thinks the people want to hear. Only in BVI.
What do they mean that some politicians suffer after leaving office? Go and get a job like everyone else who has lost their job.Are you telling me that because I was stupid enough to vote for you my tax dollars must support you for the rest of your life and then even pay your funeral expenses? How many persons in the BVI earn $10;000 per month ? Come on man !
Self centered, envy, no empathy, never satisfied, manipulative, short sighted and no boundaries are the 7 signs of greed and amazingly the qualifications for all elected BVI politicians!
I hope you gave back your money from the greedy bill
10k for retired Politicians yet citizens need assistant grants, looking to cut civil servants increments and pensions. BVI love?
We are living under these conditions largely created by past legislators and they get 8 to 10k per year? I can’t call these people honorable. They are sleazy and thugs
@ Interested….
How many employed persons earn $10k per month? Much less retired persons.
And to think our nurses worked for upwards of THIRTY years, including during Covid, and have been excluded from the receipt of public service pensions
The Bill is what it is. Not fair to prople who put in 30. 40 years in government doing dangerous jobs like police, prison. Customs, immigration etc and the long years in the service in general. Then ehenbyou retire you get 809 dollar a month.
What are you upset about? He said it out his own mouth. It’s easy to give back.