HOA pleads for patience amid scrutiny of massive salary raises
The House of Assembly has urged the public to remain patient as members prepare a formal response to the Auditor General’s findings on the financing of the 2024 public service salary increases.
The Special Report was presented to the House on September 16. It was prepared under section 20 of the Audit Act, 2003, which authorises the Auditor General to submit such reports to the Governor for presentation to the House of Assembly.
In a press release, the House acknowledged public concern, particularly regarding compensation for elected officials.
“The House notes the public interest and concern expressed following media coverage, particularly regarding compensation for elected officials,” the statement read.
The House said it will now review the report in detail and issue a comprehensive response in line with parliamentary rules.
“With the report now officially before the House, members will undertake a thorough review of its findings, engage in detailed discussions, and provide a formal response consistent with established parliamentary procedures,” it stated.
The press release stressed that the legislature remains committed to openness.
“The House reiterates its dedication to transparency, accountability, and proper due process,” it said. “An official response, inclusive of comprehensive information for the public, will be issued in due course.”
The statement also appealed directly to residents.
“The House appeals for the patience of the people of the Virgin Islands as the matter proceeds through the appropriate parliamentary channels and assures that the concerns raised will be addressed,” it said.
The Auditor General’s report has drawn attention after revealing that legislators approved a massive salary increase for themselves. According to the report, the overall emoluments for House of Assembly members rose by 119 percent, climbing from $681,000 to $1.49 million. The increases were decided in December 2023 after members chose the highest scale recommended in a consultancy review.
The Auditor General also noted that Cabinet submissions did not clearly disclose the total costs involved, including long-term implications for pensions and allowances. The Ministry of Finance had earlier flagged a funding gap of about $25 million linked to the wider public service salary adjustments.
The House has now promised that the findings will be reviewed carefully before any formal pronouncement is made.
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It makes so much sense now why this Alliance was formed and why Walwyn pushed himself up for Leader of Opposition. These guys salaries doubled since 2024, almost 2 years while in HOA pretending to be fighting for the people. M&M don’t want no backbench salary, they want Premier and Dep Premier money so they formed their own party. These guys are no different to the VIP! How can you be paid double for almost 2yrs while people struggle and you pretend to care?
“The House reiterates its dedication to transparency, accountability, and proper due process,” it said. “An official response, inclusive of comprehensive information for the public, will be issued in due course.”
DO THEY LISTEN TO THE WORDS THAT COME OUT THEIR MOUTHS?
The Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s salaries increased as well!
Definition of hypocrisy with the HOA’s statement.
These people have not learned a SINGLE THING from the COI.
CORRUPTION IS ALIVE AND WELL IN THE BVI.
UK GOVERNOR, DO YOUR JOB AND TAKE OVER NOW!
In October 2023, the Ministry of Finance flags funding gap of $20m+ compared to the PwC figure of $9.4m
A few weeks later, at a Cabinet meeting with the Minister of Finance and DG present, the salary increases are approved based on the $9.4m PwC figure.
AG Report:
“The submissions to Cabinet did not mention the verification exercise or the Ministry of Finance’s estimate.
The Deputy Governor’s Office advised that they did not make the disclosure because the MOF’s amounts were not definitive. We received no indication that the DGO requested a more definitive estimate to support the PwC amounts.”
Patience? People WE have the power in our hands so the want to double their pay hmm. They already argue against raising minimum wage but raised their pay? WE SHOULD GO TO THE POLLS AND ANYBODY WHO ISN’T THEM NAMES ON THE BALLOT JUST VOTE THEM IN. SEND HOME ALL THOSE GREEDY VAGABONDS. LET SOMEBODY ELSE ENJOY THE RAISE THEY GAVE THEMSELVES. MY FAMILY IS NOT THAT BIG LIKE OTHERS BUT WE WILL REMEMBER THIS UNTIL ELECTION. ANY NAME WE SEE ON THAT BALLOT WE VOTING FOR AS LONG AS IT ISN’T ANY OF YOU SICK VULTURES.
I had a lot to post but reading this made me laugh. You right! Save the complaining make your notes now and discuss with family circle. What would be hilarious is to send every one of them home! Let them watch others reap the benefits of the raise they gave themselves LOL yeah.
trust mw. They won’t mind if you send them home. They would still benefit from the greedy bill. they need to get rid of that greedy bill as well.
agree with you but we send them home and they continue receiving big monies monthly that they approved in the event of such a backlash so what do we do: we keep them in they eatimg big we vote them out their table set to eating bigger……….
So we keep them to further mash up our economy?
The anger is not just because of the increase at the time that it happened, it is also because of the secrecy in passing this increase. Miss me with that plea for patience please.
Because neither one of you spoke LOUDLY when your pockets were fattened! First the greedy bill, now this?!
Address the meager minimum wage, the change in salaries to show difference in experience/education. Address the need to implement building codes, price control, optimize mental health and disability accessibility and services. Address the basic needs of the people.
Imagine now if we were independent. You think any audit would’ve been done? Our elected officials drunk of themselves now they don’t care bout the voters. They smart enough to realize we are dumb robots who will line up election time and put the right in.
So their children and spouses can wear Chrome Heart designer clothing worth thousands. Walk up and down town in 1k shoes LOL they don’t care about our lives. As long as we conscious enough to vote them back in.
Fact: the opposition would have been in the dark about the over/above (initial PwC report) that the CABINET (which for those of you that don’t know means the ministers) would have approved and passed because they have the damn numbers to do so!
That is what I suspect is one of the points of clarity that needs addressing. Now, I am of the opinion that if you have the needed raises, why not repeal the Greedy Bill and amend it before reintroducing it to the HOA? The MoF and DG reports would not have been laid before the HOA and therefore the opposition (not counting Lorna) wouldn’t have known about those two reports etc.
The Ministers and be extension the Premier had the information and still proceeded with this knowing there was a significant shortfall!!!
Who to blame? We will see shortly..
Nonsense! They saw their pay slips over the past 2 years and said NOTHING while grandstanding in the HOA about bad spending. It stinks and no fact checking can fix that. The point is the Opposition were aware of the doubling of their own packages and SAID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!! They did not expect the AG to go as deep as she did. They expected her to simply say the Premier and his ministry were at fault for not considering the proper amount thereby causing the shortfall. Most of us went to school with lunch or lunch money, we did not eat our school fees so stop with the f**kry! Like one poster said it is very clear why certain political moves were made, it’s all about the money.
Umm your memory need some boost dear. Some (reps) spoke about it on national media – the tapes are there for you to go find! A little digging beyond the headlines would do some smarter pants wonders rather than reacting with such emotional distress. I am others will await the ventilation of this story to be completed. Not all has been made public and while some have spoken about it in the public sphere in the past 2 years; not all of us heard and remember that point conveniently or not.
Also, this ain’t no GB post – you sound like that lady got you all twisted you don’t know which way is up! Loosen your corset and breathe a little dude!
So The Auditor General report says that legislators decided to give themselves a massive raise. Now the same people that just decided to secretly give themselves massive raises are also going to “undertake a thorough review of its findings, engage in detailed discussions, and provide a formal response consistent with established parliamentary procedures.”
Yup, seems legit.
What a plan: Get elected, steal as much money as you can for yourself, family, and friends….set up a second home in Miami or Atlanta, keep stealing until the next crook unseats you…..incredibly smart. Wish I thought of it! The best part is the Brits sit back drinking Pimms and watch it all happen knowing the only real victims are the honest and hard working BVI people who fund it all. Priceless.
POLITICAL PROSTITUTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
Completely agree, Political prostitution, greed and corruption. They are selling out the people to better themselves, family and their crony friends.
There are more bleak days ahead for pensioners, the aged and the country at large.
Those kinds of blatant personal greedy legislative thievery will have unforeseen devastating effects on the moral conscience of this country.
Further, it could finally bring out the decent minds/people to run, or it may entice more vagabonds to run to the cookie jar.
The future of our home Virgin Islands hinges on good governance, not just democracy.
Competence and accountability must trump periodic votes.
Let’s demand and vote in leaders who will serve the people and not rule to blatantly enrich themselves..
Voting has coonsequences and the Virgin Islander is living them, sadly
Two words
Corruption
Greed
Be patient. If we wait long enough the issue will forgotten, swept under the rug, go away. Meanwhile the politicians will continue to get their big pay and keep smiling at us. U.K. NOW
YEAH WIGGIE , BLAME THE ALLIANCE FOR EVERYTHING / @ @ FACTCHECKER – WE KNOW YOU DIDN’T EAT YOUR LUNCH MONEY ( YOU DRANK IT) YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A REAĹ ” DRAMA QUEEN ” YOU SHOULD BE IN HOLLYWOOD.
Being Raped
We are being raped and kicked down every second of the day by these set of Political bandits. Our tax payers ATM IS THEIR ATM. WE FILL UP THE ATM AND THEY HELP THEMSELVES.
People don’t worry all will be fixed we just need patience. The salary increases will somehow trickle down to the people and won’t go into more vacations cause we all know that’s usually done off of taxpayers money. Don’t worry after each expand their homes and properties it’ll somehow trickle down to the kids that can’t find jobs. Don’t worry people we just need patience.
That’s what happens when you vote for people with no business before politrics. They trick out all the money silly Rabbits. What a treat or Cheat
The same government that passed the greedy bill… then pulled back when the public found out… now we have this…. Going to be reviewed now the public has found out…. When is it going to stop? To the elected ministers…. The people elected you to lead our territory. You are in your positions for the territory to get the most out of you, not for you to take the most you can from the territory.
Patience after a whole year. You all really think that bvi population are fools then. Ok.
Governor and Britain what’s going on? Wake up, stop sleeping do you all job. All this is because Britain & the Governor refused to take wise council from the commissioner of the COI “BVI too corrupt, take the country over for a short term 2 yrs and fix it”. Then hand it back to us”. I applaud the honesty and Vision of the COI commissioner. He saw this & more..
We are not voting any of the 13 – only newcomers will get my vote. AND THOSE NEWCOMERS BEST PROMISR TO REVERSE THAT GREEDY BILL
It’s simply not what you do but how you do it. It’s simply not what you say but how you say it.
You mean they were caught by surprise? They were not aware they were getting a raise?
I am waiting.
And if night should turn into day/ Alot of people/ would run away.
Who the cap fits let them wear it
WHERE YOU AT BRO ? THESE HERO HAVE DOUBLED THEIR SALARIES AND YOU AND KING WIGGIE FRON THE YELLO SITE ARE NOT HOLLERING OUT ABOUT THAT YIU QIET LIKE A LAMB & AND THE WIGGED ONE IS POINTING HIS SH*TTY FINGER AT THE OPPOSITION AS IT WAS THEM WHO DONE IT/ INSTEAD OF POINTING AT THE ” POPULAR ” BUSINESS MAN N* , WHO MASTERMINDED THE WHOLE OPERATION ( AND HE EXPECT US TO SWALLOW IT ) LOOKS LIKE IN HIS ATTEMPT TO DECIEVE US , HE IS ONLY OUTSMARTING HIMSELF , AND WITH HIS OVER GROWN EGO IN OVERDRIVE , HE SOON IMPLODE ANYWAY •
THE MOUTH GONE GHOST EH?
The people of the territory do not get up and rotest these sort of scenarios, that had forethought and blatant disregard for the interst of the people.
Some ministers went about in the last campaign saying that the ruling government is no good.
At the end of the day both parties hold one head.
Scripture says” The Love of money is the root of evil”
It is not about them getting a raise aka COLA’ cost of living adjustment. It was the sneaky slimy way it was done.
Unfortunately no patriots in this country,only greedy and selfish
I’m in agreement with your comment100%.
SO ITS SAVE TO SAY NOW THAT BVI DONT HAVE AN POLITICAL OPOSSITION -AND THIS IS DETRIMENTAL TO ANY COUNTRY – ALMOST EQUIVELENT TO A DICTATOR REGIME.
IT IS REASONABLE TO FORM THAT OPINION GIVEN THE FACT THAT ITS A COHART.
This aint gonna change.
We gotta reset our country. Activate the Order in Council and restart. Thumbs up if you agree.
Feels like Detroit politricks. Right Claude ?
A whole lot of you believe that voting out the politicians would solve the problem but they will collect full salary under the greedy bill and we will have a next set to pay as well. You think these guys stupid they f..k around with everything except their salaries. UK let them do it because its going to bankrupt the country causing us to remain dependent. Keep your eye on the game.