Monumental blunder! Premier should resign, says Walwyn
Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn has called for Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley’s resignation over a $20 million error in budget calculations for public sector salaries.
The discrepancy arose when Premier Wheatley, who is also the Minister of Finance, disclosed that the actual salary increase figure was significantly higher than budgeted. Premier Wheatley explained that the government appropriated $11.7 million in the budget when the actual figure was upwards of $25 million.
Walwyn did not mince words in the House of Assembly, arguing that the Premier, by his own admission, underestimated the salary increase by $13 million. However, Walwyn argued that the real variance was closer to $20 million, a mistake he said should be seen as unforgivable.
The Opposition lawmaker also criticised the Premier for involving the Cabinet as being involved in the error.
“He said ‘we’, to suggest that his colleagues are also culpable in this with him,” Walwyn said. “But I don’t believe so, because I know how these things work. Sometimes a Minister of Finance or a Premier goes off on a frolic of his own and I believe this Premier goes off on a frolic of his own.”
He emphasised the gravity of such miscalculations, comparing the situation to international standards where similar errors would lead to resignations.
Walwyn called on the Premier to step down, suggesting that another government member, such as Deputy Premier Lorna Smith, might be better suited for the role of Minister of Finance. “Do the honourable thing… let Honourable Smith or somebody else who’s more capable become the Minister of Finance,“ he urged.
According to Walwyn, the blunder was a reflection of deeper financial mismanagement. He expressed concern that this could increase fees and add financial burdens on the public. “The public is now going to be saddled with this $20 million or $30 million deficit in the budget,“ Walwyn argued.
Walwyn also criticised what he felt was a lack of new revenue-generating initiatives in the budget amendment proposed by the Premier, contrasting it with developments in other Caribbean nations. “Every minute you see new hotel developments coming on stream, and you see nothing happening at all here,“ he lamented.
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I agree with Hon. Walwyn . He needs to resign. He is not capable of being Premier or Minister of Finance.
How’d we get from 13M to 30M? ppl just making s**t up. 13M not bad enough for you, you gotta be as bad as the Premier with numbers.
A high school wall for $1.5 million was also a monumental blunder it resulted in possible criminal charges and possible jail time Myron, which is worse?
So let’s do some math for the slow ones who will come on defend Slowande today:
20 Million underestimation in salary increases
250k for a non stop party for AA
1.4 M for a failed music fest
2.7 M in travel with no returns to the public
45 M in grants to fake fisherman and farmers
Compare that to a wall to protect the high school which is still standing after several hurricanes, storms and flood that cost just under 1M
Get away with your stupid arguments that make no sense you blind, self centered cronies.
dont forget the NDP BVI Airways 7 Million, other bad spedning NDP just as bad, Tell them go find the plane they spend 7 million on the money they take from east end, long look sewage they used for the cruise ship pier, lol
Thank you for your wonderful transparent comment. Those damn inept cronies is so damn stupid and will remain stupid no matter how much hot slaps you catch them across the face they will continue to be damn stupid a.. lickers.
1m for a walk is still a lot not defending the Premier cause 20m is way worse. But clearly the BVI has an overspending problem. You can build a 3 floor house for 1m in the BVI yet a wall can cost the same amount doesn’t make sense.
20/30 mil vs 1.5 mil. Not saying that walwyn didn’t need to resign but if that be the case for the 20 mil somebody need go jail.
You need to shut your F rat fink A up. Stop the F ignorant bush person mentality up. 1.5 million can’t compare to the money that the Premier has and is wasting. Quarter of a million dollars on a GHETTO CENTRAL FREE CONCERT, EXPENSIVE FIRST CLASS TICKETS, EXPENSIVE FIRST CLASS HOTELS AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. ALL IN ALL THE PREMIER NEEDS TO STEP DOWN FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE TERRITORY. THE LAST ONE THAT WAS HOLDING THE FINANCIAL PORTFOLIO HOSTAGE AND DOING AS HE DAMN WELL FELT IS SERVING 11 YEARS IN A FEDERAL PRISON IN AMERICA. RAT RACE GO BACK TO THE BUSH WHERE YOU BELONG YOU F PIO PIO FINK.
Hon Walwyn, please stop the noise remember the pier park, the Airplane your wall that you single handedly hire persons for … who is talking were these not major blunders you were charged and still had the audacity to run for district office and thru your * talk of the present district Rep you won , but at a cost those parasites still looking hand outs. you will never be a premier in these virgin Islands. go Antigua and fight with Gaston see if you can get thru not in these beautiful Virgin Islands you will be our premier ride off of my indigenous premier from the east. He will and would continue to be our Premier .
He was under criminal charges but still ran for a seat so how come he did not sit it out? Now he is in court how come he don’t resign?
Myron is before the court on what I consider to be a totally frivolous and malicious charge which I am confident he will defeat. We know this was done out of spite just like many of the other cases brought by this COI. I just hope the government will find the money to pay these people when they file suit against them.
Myron’s case does not change the fact that Natalio Wheatley is a horrible leader and an even worse minister of finance. If we are to be good citizens we must look at things objectively and stop these comparisons especially when they make no sense. We must hold our leaders to account. If the NDP did wrong things while in government we voted them out. The VIP is in now and their performance has been awful. Time for the public to deal with them now.
If anyone cannot see that Natalio Wheatley is a horrible leader then something wrong with ayo head mehson.
There is a big difference people; Myron wall is caught up in corruption, fraudulent behavior and thief according to the Auditor general and the coi reports, where as the 20 m was based on misleading advice the minister of finance was given
The Premier should not be in charge of the Financial Portfolio. The Premier should resign because he have no idea or experience as how to run the Territory. The Territory is F…Ed up under his leadership. The only thing the Premier knows how to do is PARTY AND TRAVEL ON THE TAXPAYERS MONEY. The Premier is a child in a grown man’s body, he is incompetent, d**b, out for self gain only and selfish. The thing is, when he Travels he never comes back with any useful information that will better the Territory. He comes back well rested after flying in the thousand dollars first class seats and sleeping on Satin/Egyptian thread count sheets in expensive hotels.Like granny said, when you are not use to anything, you end up stupid/looking stupid.
so a $7million dollar blunder, wait, was there not one while he was in office….
If this matter doesn’t concern the general public including those political hatch jobs that defend all the foolishness then the BVI is doomed. The money will have to come from somewhere and those same fools who are defending the stupidness will have to pay increase fees and taxes for government services to cover that 20M dollar mistake.
Fees and taxes are not paid based on whether you support a government or not or a political party. So ayo stay there and be stupid defending incompetence that will cost everybody in the pocket.
Actually the Premier is not 100% to blame since he has a Budget Director and persons in the Min. Of Finance to revised the new salary structure, he is only to be blamed for taking it to the House for Approval and Lorna cannot be any better because it passed under her nose.
Oh conveniently the Premier is not to blame because he has employees under him but Myron is to be blamed for the wall. Didn’t he have employees under him as well? Ayo move ayo $tinkling mud…. $k.. from here.
The 2 incidents are way way different. one figures was incorrect and the other it was clear as daylight
but guess what to district 6 voters, wall win
Making an error that is about 15% of the entire government budget indeed is cause for resignation.
But we already knew Natalio cannot count, he tends to spend on horrible and useless things while ignoring the important things where he needs external financing.
Another monumental blunder
I approved this message
Myron you are killing yourself to become Premier. But with all your supposed intelligence you still do not understand the math. To become Premier, you must become a party leader first. So that opposition leader wannabe spin is a waste of time. Either lead the NDP or form your own party. HAHA not easy is it!
Myron is the only one in Government with the most sense.
Please go back to the bush and gnaw on the wild tamarind bush. You stupid bush imbecile. Or better yet, walk behind the Premier with a roll of toilet paper or a pack of baby wipes on a silver platter to clean his …… when he have to take a bathroom break you stupid lack of basic common sense bush imbecile idiot.
for real though its as if nothing is getting done around here. I keep thinking its because of the COI but we will see.
If you look at track records, none of the people involved in politics should be voted in.
because I know how these things work.
The Premier does is ghetto hood rat style. The man has no class. Are you guys sure his degrees is not fudged? I would love to see his Thesis.
Im pleased to see Myron holding the government accountable for a Major Blunder. Budda also held them accountable for just fix one thing.
This is what an opposition party should be doing as voicing their concerns about how the country is run.
Basically this is how we see what is going wrong in the government. Unfortunately its a long list over many years.
We need infrastructure before we can move forward as a country. Fix the Roads, put the Power cables under the plus the internet and water. Build the infrastructure we need to develop. Once this is done then we can dream about airport expansions and new ferry terminals etc.
And why are they not being budgeted for???
Where is our money Mr. Premier? I have worked for various governments for thirty-six plus years.
Many have been retired now for a significant amount of years, and not just me.
Where are the rest of money owed for increments yet unpaid Mr. Premier and Mr. Walwyn?
As you too, Sir, with the NDP government refused to pay us then, while we were still employed as teachers and others, our increments. Your party and this one continue playing the same games with the retired employees.
It is as if you both are saying, “ahhh, they are old now, let them die, so we can have more money to go around the world frolicking.”
Now in real time, the Premier is now working on his reelection by organizing salary increases and releasing them right at election time.
Thank you Mr. Walwyn for spilling the beans.
Why would the administration leader be working on salary increases, although needed, and not included and finalized the outstanding arrears for increments owed?
The retirees are suffering. Some have become very ill and have used up all their savings in medical care. While others have given up and have been beaten down to having chicken backs and rice everyday, and i mean every day for sustenance and staying alive.
While you Mr. Premier goes off on expensive frolicking trips, eat the best, +art and +hit big, while the retired employees continue to fall down, get sick, wither and die waiting for THE MONEY THEY HAVE WORKED FOR YEARS AGO.
THEREFORE, IT IS PURE HEARTLESSESS AND POLITICAL DISHONESTY; POLITICAL CRIMINALITY AND MISCONDUCT; CROOOKEDNESS AND SHENANIGANS BEING WAGED UPON THE FORMER EMPLOYEES OF THIS AND GOVERMENTS OF THE PAST.
The Honorable Premier and Minister are both culpable and guilty in this matter. Hence both should resign immediately As, the retirees have been waiting, suffering and dying while waiting for over twenty years now for what they have worked for. Is this the new form of slavery being carried out by our governments??
How coldblooded and heartless is that?????
EASY. Pay them until the $11.7m runs out then make them redundant-lay them off with NO benefits. That’s what they would do to us.
Is put the Territory and the people first. A true leader always put Territory and people first. The only thing he is good for is party, party, travel and allegedly controlling Tola Radio. Yes, he is the one who is allegedly controlling Tola Radio which has turned into one big ghetto S..t show.
Tola Radio is WHACK. Seems like it is has turned into a ghetto radio show. It only caters to a certain element of people.
This country full of idiots. As soon as someone says something yall quick to take side.
just entitlement issues leading to frivolous gov spending because high ranking officials feel they should live as lavishly as their predecessors when they should be trying to save each penny to address outstanding issues.
BLONDIE, you have found another good name again ,but it should be ( MY RAT’S MENTALITY ) TRUMP CAN USE A NERD LIKE YOU / PLEASE GO BACK IN YOU CAVE , AND TAKE YOUR WIG WITH YOU
Make no mistake Natalio is not capable. however please remember this walwyn is not to be trusted because same him went in the coi and said everything he did was what was in his power to do so if you have a problem with it then change the law. This was his defense after his decisions escalated the cost of the project significantly. Please be mindful that this is the same one now coming pointing finger at someone else regarding financial mismanagement. We in a spot because our leaders not competent and we can’t trust those sharks in the opposition.
I have asked before and now I will ask again:
Who among us believe that either the role of Premiere or MoF is a part time job?
Who among us believe that just half of your work week needs to be allotted to these roles?
Who among us believes that the territory is in such good fiscal shape that we don’t need people who do NOTHING but performe as Premiere OR MoF?
I guess this another “learning experience”
We might never get the outcome of this investigation just like how we still waiting on the numbers from the non stop jam. All I know is whoever is responsible for this colossal blunder I’m sure they being paid well; probably have their own also paid well consultant.
Elect the stray dogs and cats on the Island to run the Territory and I bet they will do a much better job. Cats and dogs are more smarter and honest than humans, the only thing is they can’t talk.
Oh please another million dollar blunder. Easy solution,ask Social security or NHI for the money, and no one will get increment for the next forty years.
Minister ask for the premier to be fired, oh ,boy did any minister ask for you to be fired.old mentality never solve much. This type of a behavior will get all of you in trouble as minister. Long ago, problems like this would have solve behind close doors, but now dirty laundry get hang in the streets.
People please always take my advice, find solutions to the problems,before blaming each other, none of you are fully competent to manage this country, but together all of you are winners, stop the whining and start beating the hammer you will get what you want / need out of it.
All this rant seems personal, very personal.
Anyone who believes this wannabe tyrant needs their head examined – in the land of the blind M W is king.
If I remember correct the Premier/Minister of Finance wasn’t even here when they were finalizing the budget. I think I remember the opposition criticizing him for that. Not that I think he would have made much of a difference.
We apparently don’t understand what happened, if any ceo in any private company had made that type of mistake he and his assistants would have been home the day after the discovery.
Blame colonialism, the UK, the expatriates for this blunder?
As a country, how much more incompetent can our leader of finance get
That is why corruption can tske place and people turn a blind eye
That is why murders are committed and no one says anything
If the leaders in the land are justifiying the shortfall
WHAT A SOCIETY!!!! Can you imagine what INDPENDANCE would look like
Drop the order of council on the country!!! A lesson will have to be taught. Nothing is changing
Though us locals feel the same shame and despondency as you, we find your selective methods extreme.
To bring back colonialism of the 12th and 13th century woud be an insult to our intelligence warranting a firm and violent push back.
We have to get our political house in order. We cannot continue electing sharks to live in the fish pen of the HOA.