No Virgin Islander applied for BVIAA Managing Director position
Of the 60 plus applications the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) received for the position of Managing Director (MD), none of them was from a Virgin Islander.
Premier Andrew Fahie disclosed this information at today’s one-on-one press briefing. Fahie said he did his due diligence with research and requested information regarding the hiring process from the Airports Authority since it was a corporate body.
He said he was told the Air Safety Support International (ASSI) also played a critical role in the hiring process.
“They told me that in terms of the person that applied, over 60 persons applied for the position. They had persons as far as Afghanistan applied, no person from the Virgin Islands applied for that position, none,” the Premier said.
Fahie said the perception going around is that his government brought in a St Lucian to take a post and they are not looking out for the people of the Virgin Islanders. However, the Premier said the government cannot put someone in a position for which they have not applied.
“You will be sitting down there saying, ‘well, no one applied’ and when we put a Virgin Islander in the post, people will say ‘where is the transparency, where is the accountability, where is the due process’. Now none of them applied and 60 persons applied that are not from the Virgin Islands. They are asking ‘how come no one from the Virgin Island is there?’ It’s like you can’t win with some of these cases. But we need to stay consistent with what’s accountable and transparent,” Fahie added.
The Premier said the current MD, Kurt Menal who officially commenced his duties on Monday, is on a four-year contract with the view of training persons. Consequently, Fahie noted, when Menal’s tenure is completed, someone from the Virgin Islands can take the post.
Fahie also added that contrary to popular belief, the BVIAA board was not the only group involved in the hiring process. He said the information he received indicated that ASSI, which is charged with the oversight of civil aviation and safety regulation in UK Overseas Territories, was heavily involved in the recruitment process.
“It wasn’t only done by the board as persons are saying. It was mainly done by ASSI with the number of applications because they also must certify and regulate the airport. So, they were looking for certain things in the applicants. But it is hard to place the Virgin Islander in a position if none applied. So, with that now, they shortlisted it down to 10 persons from the 60. They had the interviews, and the current MD was selected,” Fahie explained.
The Premier continued by saying it is unfair for the public to give the impression that most of the top positions in the public sector are not made up of locals.
“I don’t want to give the impression that most of these posts are not filled by Virgin Islanders. I also don’t want to give the impression that we do not need the expertise from persons outside of the Virgin Islands. That is every country. They are going to need that balance at the end of the day despite you wanting your people to fill those areas,” the Premier said.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
The same wicked seeds that you sow continue to come back to haunt you. You now have a St. Lucian or Trinidadian as the head of the airport authority. You removed a BVIslander from the Treasury and A Jamaican national now has the post. When a St. Lucian was hired at the Port and the Prison when there were problems at those places you were up and down parading saying the NDP hiring outsiders and overlooking our own people. Now today in your press conference it is a different story from your mouth. All of a sudden now we have to hire outside sometimes when the skills are not available. I continue to say that you are the worse thing that could ever happened to the BVI. You have no standards. No integrity. Your words have no value. You are just awful!You have misled our people so much with your filthy untruths that many don’t what is right from what is wrong. Then you turn around and call God’s name in every sentence. You continue!
Although this is true, no virgin islander will work with the board since your govt took over. The VIP GOVT has made political supporters a part of the reason we as a people are suffering. Have you listened to any of the complaints expressed by statutory bodies… All have complaints. The airport went from bad to worst, under this govt. The financial controller, ag operation manager and the past ag managing director left. Nobody wants to work with the board who is headed by BS and PL. The airport has a high turnover rate of workers, how can you not see something is wrong.
The new MD, will have to put his foot down and I pray for him in this climate of bad mismanagement.
You need ask the staff about the leadership/managerial skills of those that left
Don’t forget Tourism board. Nobody applied because nobody wants to be a part of a sinking ship. Nobody wants to deal with politically appointed and unqualified inexperienced members in the Board. This administration has been a train wreck! Worst in BVI history.
Same thing at the Ports. Financial Controller recently left and a whole lot of the managers left from 2019 when this bunch take over. We keep loosing good people. Life is so @$%&* unfair. Port is another sinking ship. Same $%#&! Board.
But Andrew giving out status to thousands of foreign peoples from where these bigshot,big money hires originate.. These positions represent the BVI majority population crafted with his assist so he not concern. His yeah votes are guaranteed.
Again….. no Virgin Islanders applied.
Yet, Wheatley is delaying work permits. (And by doing that delaying government income on wp fees). How is frustrating companies and government agencies helping the territory?
And like you said it’s true) thank you sharing your knowledge with us ,we get to see what’s really going on behind the scenes
There are more than enough qualified Virgin Islanders with their mba. And dont come with the bs about aviation. The job is about adminstration and management. But will not apply because of the political kiss ass environment this govt has created.
You must have knowledge of the aviation industry. This is a specialized area which necessitates that the manager must have aviation experience.
They can also learn the industry skills. We have to allow our people to learn from somewhere. Y’all be wanting people with all the skills in the work “ON PAPER” but don’t want to pay for those skills and honestly sometimes, those same new hire with skills on paper can’t perform. Sometimes the resumes don’t always match production. Words and experience on paper can be finessed if you’re articulate enough. Give the locals more chances to care. At one point, we all didn’t have experience. Anything is possible to learn IF you care enough as a new hire.
after we been running it for 50 years
Into the dirt
IT SHOULD’VE BEEN AUTOMATIC
Tik Tock Time will tell
I told them that big belly rube boy was a waste of money
But yet the other day they were going to head hunt locals to fill the post these stinking mfrs
You know those in right now from here are not ready..They are very petty have no idea about port and port security…These board members are just hiring their friends who have no idea of security, no descipline, no hiring standard. Hope they allow this new MD to do his own hiring. That’s the best way let his success or failure be on his shoulders, not a board hiring forts then he looks bad and failed. That won’t be fair..
Must pray harder!
No local wants to be on a sinking ship! Yes there are highly qualified locals. But who want to deal with L**e or BS or F**x? A set of boards with unqualified and inexperienced people who want to run the daily show and victimized people! Make sure only VIP contractors get any work. They don’t allow the MDs to do their jobs and run the organizations like Port, Airport, Hospital, Tourist Board, immigration and so on. Nobody wants to be in that mess.
…all of the applicants, not those sent through by the Board!