‘Out of control’ statutory bodies must give value for money — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has suggested that some statutory bodies may need to be given a closer examination, especially when considering that they are ‘top heavy’ in their staffing and may very well be out of control.
“Some of these statutory bodies, you’re giving them a subvention and their salaries gone through the roof. They double the salary,” Premier Wheatley said while speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) recently. “Some of them hire too many people. They come grossly overstaffed, top heavy.”
The Premier added: “So, we also have to demand that these statutory bodies, especially those which are receiving a subvention, give value for money for taxpayers’ dollars.”
“Some of them who are out of control; we have to get them back in control… Just because you’re a statutory body in my view doesn’t justify some of the exorbitant — sometimes — salaries, exorbitant benefits,” Dr Wheatley stated.
And even as he drew a contrast between civil servants’ salaries and the salaries paid to the staff of statutory bodies, Premier Wheatley said while he wasn’t saying that civil servants’ salaries shouldn’t be reviewed, the disparity between the two classes of workers’ compensation is just too wide.
“We have to do better with the civil servants and perhaps we got to pull back on the statutory bodies a bit,” the Premier argued.
Remember who appointed you
Meanwhile, Premier Wheatley said it was important to put statutory boards in place which are comprised of competent persons and of persons who recognise their responsibility to the public.
“Remember now, you’re being appointed by Cabinet. You’re being appointed by ministers who are elected to the people. So you can’t get there and forget how you got there as though you put yourself there and then you start to do what you want, and nobody can’t say a word to you. No, that can’t work,” the Premier said.
He continued: “So, you have to be competent, you have to have a vision, but you [also] have to recognise how you got there. The minister who put you there and the Cabinet, who put you there, are accountable to the people and you have to be able to hear the cries of the people.”
As part of the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) reforms, the territory is currently undergoing a review of all statutory boards to determine, among other things, the extent to which those boards are applying policies intended to promote good governance such as conflict-of-interest policy and a political interference policy.
Further to this, the review is also expected to establish the extent to which statutory boards follow a due diligence policy and what steps need to be taken to remedy any deficiencies and the time scale in which the steps should be accomplished.
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Has the BVI government at any time understood the concept of value for money? Was a $ 1 million wall around the school value for money? What about the $ 7.2 million on the mystery airline? Or the $85 million Pier Park Project with the missing $ 10 million after paying $ 1 million for an audit that concluded there wasn’t sufficient documentation to complete an audit…..etc etc….many can’t even get value for money for health services because their employees have withheld the tax but have not forwarded the monies as required. Value for money hereabouts is how can I get maximum dollars for minimum effort.
Look who just arrived to the party after almost 4 years. Sure Shiite Sherlock! Must you be slow with everything? Where were you when the board members were given big increases and you had cronies sitting on 3 and 4 boards? Oh yes, busy being head coach’s cheerleader. Now your the cheerleader for the Governor. Understand.
@Poor BVI: The current Premier sat in silence as his Government wasted tax payers money and squandered our social security benefits. Now talking about value for money. Shamless he is.
“Premier Wheatley said it was important to put statutory boards in place which are comprised of competent persons and of persons who recognise their responsibility to the public.” This is a very controversial statement…since when we insist on this new standard? No suh. That’s not how we do it in the BVI….
Health and Education….. 100 overhaul needed. Those people are there for their own interests and HAVE TO GO.
So when you approved for Board members to go from 300 a month to 1800 a month? That was value for money? They aren’t the ones who do the real work. Meanwhile scrutinizing and victimizing the actual staff of Stat Bods who do the real work.
Now it is the envy and jealousy against the senior staff of Stat Bods who put in the work and time? Why are you comparing them to Civil Servants? There is a reason why Stat Bods were set up separate and autonomous from the Government. You should be comparing salaries across the same industry not versus the Government.
Put competent people on statutory boards and stop choosing people because they your friend or party supporter! That gonna fix everything.
Why are you troubling statutory bodies. these are some of the best run organizations in the BVI. What you need to do is get competent board members to help these organizations foward. Mr. Premeir you never cease to amaze me.
High over priced salaries and the folks in the positions don’t have a clue what’s going on….Don’t believe me? Check the top 10 highest paid at the Airport and match their salaries with their qualification, airport experience and competence. the answer… only two of them would pass the test.
Have they sacked Patsy and Sylvester and the rest ?
Not as far I know
Surely most of us can see that the Premier is working to make things better for us all. Anyone with eyes can see that when he took on the mantle of Premier, he did not understand that the COI report was correct – and those who appointed him did not realize that he was going to take this job seriously. That kind of learning curve takes time!
Still, a stern lecture isn’t going to cut it; many of his colleagues and those on the boards are the same people doing their best to hobble this government and the investigations.
The Honorable Wheatley has my respect. God Bless him for being our voice in the wilderness.
All he doing is just restating what the COI and Governor said… he just setting the stage for the massive layoffs that are about to take place. I’m sure they will have to provide some sort of severance package…. then unemployment rates sky rocket.
Health money big and service small
How could they when the government chose to put people there to manipulate the system this is crazy
I like this Premier. He is not getting enough credit. But if you ask me, he is better than O’Neal, Smith and Fahie…All responsible for the collapse of the BVI, This Premier has a lot of fixing to do from the mess and mash up those previous 3 caused..Mr. Premier we don’t need anymore boards, as a matter a fact find away to reduce the AMT we have and safe tax payers..
Sowande tell us the salary of Mrs. Sowande and her qualifications? How did she get her current job at the controversial stat body.
?
Still right there in the cheese shop.
Too much clerical/paper pushers not enough technical/medical.