Lawmakers shouldn’t determine their own salaries — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has argued that lawmakers should not be allowed to come up with how much they are being paid, suggesting that an independent body should be created to make such a determination instead.
Dr Wheatley gave that indication at a recent public service forum where he was responding to a question about pension reform.
“Right now we are having a compensation review for all public servants, and of course, it is fitting that an independent body must be able to look at not only public servants’ salaries but [also] legislators’ salaries,’ the premier said.
“The first problem is legislators shouldn’t be determining their own salaries,” he added. “It should be done by an independent body, and you should be paid based on your roles and your responsibilities; something that’s commensurate to your roles and your responsibilities.”
Additionally, Premier Wheatley proposed that pensions for lawmakers and public servants should be calculated based on formula and their salary, and not on allowances, as has been done in the past for lawmakers.
Dr Wheatley emphasised the need for contributory pension schemes that will not leave the government bankrupt as it tries to find ways of ensuring that both public officers and legislators have a pension they can live on. He further indicated that a proper actuarial study will be necessary to ensure any decisions made regarding pension reform are sustainable in the long term.
Greedy bill regret
Meanwhile, Premier Wheatley also acknowledged the great disparity between retirement benefits for legislators and public officers, expressing regret for his support of the much maligned ‘greedy bill’ for legislators and reiterating that it was a mistake to pass the law.
The ‘greedy bill’ is a reference to the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021, a law passed by the Premier’s Virgin Islands Party (VIP) that has received intense backlash from the public over its excesses doled out to lawmakers even when they are voted out of office.
But even as he acknowledged making mistakes in that regard, Premier Wheatley said he saw this as an opportunity to learn and to become a stronger leader in the future.
The Premier shared his view on the importance of a comprehensive social safety net which he said will ensure all seniors in the territory can survive after retirement.
Dr Wheatley expressed support for allowing public officers to leave the public service with a pension earlier than the current 25-year mark, arguing that this can be done as long as their pension reflects the amount of years they have served.
“We must allow persons to go on into the private sector and even give them incentives,” Dr Wheatley said. “Persons who have come and they’ve saved their money, they want to open a business; let’s help them open that business. Let’s free up space for other persons who have that passion and zeal in the public service.”
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TWO MORE WEEKS OF THIS?
Kedrick sold out the rights of property belonging to the people when he was in Council, with whom she has align herself with!!!
Perline has missed the bus!!! Perline’s time was 2 terms ago !!!
We needed Kedrick out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!!!!!!
This is the same individual who seconded everything Fahie did
Electing you as our next Premier will also be a mistake
The accidental premier speaks again. ANOTHER MISTAKE!! Oh Father, how much longer.
No premier is was not your mistake is was the mistake of ever voter in the 7th who placed an x next to a weak person. It was not your mistake is was the mistake of the bvi who allowed you to hoodwinked them into believing that calling of elections was not an option. No sir the mistake is ours, we are suffering dearly for allowing ourselves to be led by someone with your ability. You Mashup education and we allowed someone who don’t have any certification in arithmetic to be minister of finance. Pi** in my pocket and real me it is raining. Only in the bvi.
No they should not so why did you????
Why does this gentleman keep digging himself deeper, the obvious answer to his latest outpouring, is, as leader of the government, why have you not done this already. When you are a leader of a country, stating all the things that should have been done, but, have not, merely makes you look a failure.
LMAO
Continue listing the mistakes until election day. I am curious as to how many there are.
THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENTAL PREMIER
nothing God does is a mistake, He knows everything before it happens. Trust me he was not a mistake. you all better be thankful for that, or else the lesson God will teach you all would not like. hmm!
I believe this man gone crazy. He decided to pay himself when he is not working but now talking piddle.
Replace our Premier with someone that led the WSD and couldn’t get water to people? Please.
She has aligned herself with Kedrick who hasn’t done anything for 7th District for 20years!!!!¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She gone now so long and I still cannot get water stay on in my area. So she was not the problem.
But yet Ayo pass a bill to determine Ayo pension
Tell your ministers to put the money in the budget, or put the money where there mounts are. Perline is not it there and the place turn up. The annual reports have the lady’s accomplishments. They are at the east end/long look public library. Go read them and come back.
Right about now I do not know if there is any line between a mistake and a accident when it comes to this premier. I starting to get confused lol
should never be paid any type of a civil salary in a parliamentary type of government. Their constituency should meet their elected representatives monetary needs NOT the BVI Treasury. Elected politicians are identical to religious ministers and pastors who are supported by their congregation. Anything else is pure evil.
If you only knew. If walls can could speak. If air could rat. If god could come down right now and tell all, you would be shocked. But you are close in your summation. They said they would, all yo voted them in and they did. Now we all frig.
Now one civil servant active or retired, got a dime increase in their retirement.
Now one civil servant active or retired, got a penny of thheir increments.
But after four years, they wil be set for life after looting the legalism of our country to the hilt…
We frig if if our people to blind to see what they did to them and vote them back in. WE FRIG!!!!!!
I heard it’s coming!!! Lets wait and see!!!
It is a crying shame what those lawmakers, present and for decades going back, have done to these lovely islands and the people. Lined their pockets and living comfortably while so many persons throughout the islands are living on the fringes of poverty.
For a country with so much coming into the government’s coffers, it is downright shameful how trashy the place looks. Overgrown, sewerage in the poorly maintained roads, crumbling infrastructure and the list goes on and on. The politicians go in empty and come out with expanding waistlines and overnight riches. Even a blind man can see what is going on.
All that, and so many other injustices, hence the reason why I will not be going to the polls this guava crop.
He ain’t crazy , he and the rest PUPPETS can always put the blame on the white boyz in their broken down record of racist rethoric as a distraction to decieve their own people , while they rip them off with a smile on their LIEING faces , what a set of hypocrites
Inst a oension review alreDy been done for the public servant. Isnt that news was already posted since last year. This people are crazy
I heard it’s coming!!! Lets wait and see!!!