No impropriety in raising elected officials’ retirement package
While disregarding concerns raised about inappropriate timing, Premier Andrew Fahie has debunked suggestions that there is any impropriety in his administration’s move to make adjustments to the retirement package for legislators who have served in the House of Assembly.
Drawing a reference to the recent legislative adjustment for the retirement packages of judges, Premier Fahie said that news drew little media attention.
“[But] the minute the politicians or elected officials’ retirement adjustment hits, then it’s that they’re taking care of themselves – it’s that they don’t care about people,” Fahie stated.
Meagre basic salaries for non-ministers
The basic salary for all elected officials who don’t have ministerial portfolios, he disclosed, is set at a paltry $36,000 per annum. Fahie expressed that this is likely less than the salary of a junior member of the public service.
He further said the salary of serving ministers is roughly double the amount being earned by backbenchers and opposition members.
According to the Premier, the additional allowances legislators receive help to supplement their base salary which he said is heavily taxed.
Fahie said the current retirement benefits do not take allowances into consideration and this is what the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021 intends to largely address.
Some retired legislators get less than $1,000 monthly
The Premier disclosed that some retired legislators are left to survive on as little as $900 per month — before taxes are deducted — and this was unreasonable after the dedicated services they had given.
“When you have persons serving for so many years and then they leave the position and you put them out there with nothing, basically, they become less off than before they went in or when they went in,” Premier Fahie said.
He added that the situation is compounded by legislators’ inability to bid on contracts or seek alternative sources of income while in office due to integrity and conflict-of-interest concerns.
No impact on the coffers today
The Premier further reassured persons that the legislative amendment will only affect retired legislators and should not impact persons now.
“This is not money coming out of the coffers right now at all,” Premier Fahie said. “This is just legislation that has been amended for anyone who retires and also for the few that are still living to make some adjustments for them.”
He said if persons had concerns about the legislative amendment, they should, “just make sure we (sitting legislators) continue to win so that [monies] don’t’ have to be paid out.”
According to the Premier, the issue — like many others — has been continuously kicked down the proverbial road for years.
He further said other administrations neglected to address it because they fear voters retaliate during a General Election. Fahie said his government has chosen to address the matter “to get it right for them once and for all”.
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But when the NDP was in government you said they should take a pay cut during Irma. Here you are now giving yourself a raise during the pandemic because you think that you and your gang of misfits will not get elected again so you would get your salary for three years after you leave office. If the BVI people cannot see who Andrew is by now they will never see it.
This is more than wickedness. This blatant disrespect for all those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic and don’t have a clue where the next dime would come from. Instead of coming up with initiatives to pull the BVI out of its current mess they are thinking about their future. Mr. Premier have you ever heard the term “COUNTRY ABOVE SELF”?
What about those legislators to whom the people have not seen nor heard from for months. Please Governor, please England, please recuse us from this waste of time government, please. The worse the BVI have ever seen.
People through your hatred of the “clears” you are blind to the fact that you have been enslaved by your own brothers. The same occurred when our black brothers sold us into slavery 200 years ago, once again we are being sold into slavery. Our new Masters, the politicians and the wealthy dictate all to us. What we eat, where we live, who we work for and how much pay. It’s time to wake up and put an end to this enslavement. We sit like sheep and do nothing. Stand up to these thieves and their cronies.
Respect to all the paltry $36k a year earning workers.
I salute you.
Contrary to what the premier said, junior members of the public service make way lass than $36,000.
My goodness, $36,000? No way. The sanitation workers that picks up the garbage from the streets makes close to $60,000.
The judges retirement benefits were raised but not a noise from anyone. Ayo just hate your own.
You cannot compare a judge with a crooked politician. Two different end of the stick.
I thank the Premier for coming forward on this and many other issues. They all needed addressing for many years now.
I just cannot wait to see the back of this VIP administration. They schemed their way to government by host of misrepresentations and false gossip to bring nothing but embarrassment and hard times to the people. Look at this last ditch effort to legally stuff their pockets with money before the ship sink. They make me sick to my stomach.
The biggest political mistake our country ever made was electing you as premier with your incompetent team members.
the country didnt vote him in, it was the 1st district that vote him in
THE 1st DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE VERY DISAPPOINTED NEXT TIME AROUND. TIME FOR THE BABIES TO STOP NURSING.
I am not even surprised that you cant see the error of your ways. It is all about money for you.
You claim members can’t seek alternative means of income or bid on a contract because of conflicts of interest. Yeah right!!!! I wonder who has the security firm that was serving during quarantine.
I wonder who is serving on various boards. I wonder provides decorations for various events….and the list can go on and on. So much for integrity and no impropriety.
The first issue is that they should not be serving for more than 8 years it leads to way to much corruption. If we had term limits most of these people would be long gone both for their own good and for the good of the country.
Given the current climate with the COI and what appears to be widespread corruption, as well as the way that this bill was passed with 3 readings in one sitting, I think it is one of the bills that should be held by the Governor it should not not be assented to, not a this time. The salaries need to be addressed and they may get a base of 36K but it is actually much higher with the allowances.
If our legislators feel that they pay too much in taxes, then why is that a problem to be addressed for HOA members but the rest of the country must suffer? A fine set of leaders, it is obvious that they only care about themselves
I guess he realized by now a lot of his candidates are not going to get back in so maybe that’s why he came up with these packages in such a hurry
COME ON GOVERNOR! PLEASE DONT ASSEND TO THIS
Please Mr. Governor, don’t ASSEND. I think the Premier is up to one of his tricks. He embellishes and l**s about everything. I also think he knows that his political career looks bleak and he is in the planning stages to leave office secured financially.
ASSENT is the word.
On BVI Social Security if you don’t ruin that fund too!
You coming out ASAP! Enjoy your last days in office Andrew
I WONDER IF FOY REALLY THINK HE IS GETTING ANOTHER TERM AFTER ALL THE DAMAGE HIM AND HIS CRONIES HAVE DONE TO THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY. TOURIST SEASON, POOF. STIMULUS MONEY TO HELP THE PEOPLE, POOF. AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON NONSTOP. NO JOKE, WE HAVE TO KICK HIM TO THE CURB. CAN YOU IMAGINE ANOTHER 4 YEARS LIVING WITH A ONE MAN ARMY?
I make less than a “paltry $36,000” per anum.a lot of us do. That’s $3000 per month. There are quite a number of persons who earn less than this amount as well.so, you acknowledge that this amount is not a substantial or comfortable salary, yet so many have to make do with less coupled with the exorbitant cost of living here. Why don’t you address the cost of living? Why? It is expensive for locals and expats alike. This is not a happy place, not at all.
Wow! Astonishingly wow! They are just what one of them stated during the campaign, “i going in for me.”
It is just very sad and bad that people didn’t know about that statement and thier sole motive back then.
It is now crystal clear that was and is the intent of that party.
What a bold face move in the midst of a pandemic and economic slow down.
This is horrible!
We ain’t forget about you
We have to work for 25 years and you all only for 4 years hmmmm….Governor, please do not assent to this.
Also where is our increments, especially for the teachers?
Can we get a breakdown on this “SET UP” please.
Mr. Premier. The country’s minimum wage is $6 per hour. A 40 hour working week would give someone on minimum wage an annual salary of $12,000 per year. You have just referred to a salary that is TRIPLE that as ‘paltry’. AND stood in front of the country and tried to JUSTIFY taking tax money from those earning minimum wage to PAY people a salary 3x what they would be earning for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING…. I am not saying here that the government are doing absolutely nothing… but when they leave the house of assembly they should NOT leave with a year’s salary – they are not doing a service to the country, why should the country be paying them? Where is the protection for the people? If a minister is voted in and the people choose NOT to vote them in for a second term they should not be paid another penny of the people’s tax money. If someone told you to apply these principals to a private business you owned you would say they are insane…. YES…. but please don’t forget – we the tax payers work for the money you are recklessly lining your pockets with. If there is money to spend EDUCATION NEEDS LOOKING AT!!!! Do we all need to say it again? Because its appearing on EVERY news article regardless of the topic…. OUR CHILDREN NEED AND DESERVE AN EDUCATION MUCH MORE THAN ANY OF YOU NEED MORE MONEY FROM THE PEOPLE.
Amen, and thank you for what you say!
The Premier said if person had concerns about the legislative amendment , they should ,”JUST MAKE SURE WE SITTING LEGISLATORS CONTINUE TO WIN SO THAT(MONIES) DON’T HAVETO BE PAID OUT.” On that note, we the PEOPLE WILL VOTE YOUR PARTY OUT.
You hit the nail right on the head, but it is even more serious than that. What it amounts to is the Leader of our territory indicating that he is bribing us with tax payers money to keep him and his cronies in power. If we don’t keep them in power he is demanding an exorbitant payoff by a law of his own mandate.
Further to that the Premier claims the public servants need a study to determine increase in salary packages but the HOA members has decided that they know what their pay and retirement package should be while public servants wait for past due increments. They really have us for fools.
By the way, they conveniently fail to mention that elected members pay package includes generous allowances such as $2000.00 per month for housing, hundreds monthly for entertainment, vehicle, etc. all of which is not subject to taxes.
Andy please vacate our house.
He also need to turn in the keys to the vehicle that belongs to us.
This call for another inquiry. How could 13 People vote to take the money of 20 thousand people,, this is criminal.. Why did the Governor sign off on this law..If he did, he shouldnt have…pure wickedness
What ah waste of energy from the west!!
Expats come live in all types of horrible conditions just to earn a dollar at minimum wage sometimes even below minimum.
Serve and serve sometimes facing all sorts of abuse and yet your laws want to send them out with nothing…. .hmmm
You already know so you making preparation…..
Greed greed….
The timing is not right. Andrew nd crew trying to secure themselves first.
What about the meagre salary for government retired employees?
@ Paisano seeing that government workers pay zero into a retirement fund it is rediculos that they are getting anything.
2021 look what the speaker is wearing on top his head.if you want to turn white then bleach,simple
THE PREMIER KNOWS IN HIS HEART THAT HE WILL NOT BE RE-ELECTED NEXT ELECTION AND HE IS PREPARING HIMSELF. HE IS SIMPLY NOT FIT NOR IS HE PREPARED TO LEAD A COUNTRY. THE BVI IS THE BUTT OF JOKES. YOU ALL WANT TO CONTINUE BEING THE BUTT OF JOKES AND NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY, THEN CONTINUE ON. FOR THE BETTERMENT OF YOUR COUNTRY, DO WHAT IS RIGHT, THE PREMIER IS NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.
PREMIER STATED HE HAVE NO FEAR OF THE TRUTH. WELL HE SHOULD NOT BE IN FEAR OF THE TRUTH SAYING HE WILL NOT BE RE-ELECTED FOR A NEXT TERM. EMBRACE THAT TRUTH MR. PREMIER. THE COUNTRY IS SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED.
A pay raise should go to teachers first.
We are heading towards a society where the retirees will be more educated than the younger generation, and my dear people that spell disaster.