BVI News

Outstanding salary increments to be paid by end of September

Deputy Governor David Archer, Jr.

Cabinet has assured the public that public servants will be paid outstanding increments dating back some five years.

The Office of the Deputy Governor gave that indication in a statement released last Friday.

According to the statement, Cabinet decided on February 15 to pay eligible public officers performance year increments, with arrears, for 2018 and 2019 to commence immediately and be substantially completed by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

It was further noted that the decision was made to pay eligible officers performance year increments for 2020, 2021 and 2022, without arrears initially. This is expected to be substantially completed by the end of the Third Quarter of 2023. This timeline translates to the end of September.

“I would like to underscore that this decision is of monumental importance, and I am pleased to see it is being prioritised for the sake of so many hard-working public officers who are owed these increments. This is a symbol of the government’s commitment to driving public service excellence,” Acting Premier Kye Rymer said.

The statement from the Deputy Governor’s Office follows closely on the heels of an assurance by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley that increments will be paid to public officers.

“Just in case somebody didn’t hear it. I have already announced the payment of increments for our hardworking public servants. I have instructed the Financial Secretary to find money. Money has been budgeted. If additional money needs to be budgeted, we will get it,” the Premier said recently in the House of Assembly.

Delayed payments impacted morale

In the meantime, the statement advised that in cases where officers are on the top of their scales, they will be paid a one-off payment the equivalent of the incremental value. It was also explained that eligible public officers will receive the payment of two full increments – for 2018 and 2019 – at the end of the entire processing period, and see a change in their salary levels by five incremental steps.

Speaking to the steps that led up to the move, it was noted that the Office of the Deputy Governor in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Human Resources made presentations to Cabinet last week regarding the payment of outstanding increments to public officers. 

The presentation is said to have highlighted the impact of the delayed increment payments on the Public Service, and the effect on the engagement and morale of public officers. 

The decision to commence the payment of increments also comes as the Office of the Deputy Governor wraps up several Compensation Review stakeholder meetings. These focus-group sessions have taken place with various stakeholder groups internal and external to the Public Service and are led by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services Limited (PwC).

The statement also explained that before 2013, the payment of performance increments was in accordance with General Orders, and perfectly married to the Performance Management Programme. However, due to the fluctuating fiscal challenges since 2012, which were further compounded by the disasters of 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the payment of increments was subsequently delayed. 

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24 Comments

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  1. ??? says:

    Why September? This is just BS a bunch of smoke screening. If those in charge were affected by any means increments would have been paid years ago. Why they jeep oppressing and suppressing their subordinates is very demeaning and unworthy.

    Like 14
  2. Wow says:

    Clearly a trick. Elections will be far over.. PAY it NOW!

    Like 16
  3. A promise is a comfort to a fool says:

    Maybe he is a VIP in disguise….This could be an election gimmick

    Like 11
  4. Yawn says:

    Hopefully ‘eligible’ public servants only includes those doing a good job – and not the rude and lazy ones that spend the whole day surfing the internet (when they are in the office).

    Like 16
    Dislike 1
  5. Another promise says:

    1) AA will commence direct BVI flights to/from Miami, Fla. in June 2023
    2) Government workers will be paid all their overdue increments by Sept. 2023

    Hope for the best but maybe expect the worst!

  6. Question says:

    Could someone answer the following;

    Are increments the same as bonuses?

    What sort of average value per person e.g. 1 months salary etc.

    Thanks

  7. @?? says:

    September because they need those funds from the BVI FSC after June in order to pay most bills.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
  8. Ahahaha says:

    If the people buy into this, they have learned NOTHING! Worse than a pyramid scheme scam. Election time is the jokiest time.

    Like 10
  9. Elsa says:

    Whether it is paid or promised, it is an election tactic. This is so unfair to employees. They can only get increments around election time

  10. Health care says:

    We all wishing and praying that the BVIHSA read this and read it well cause them like ti chop off hare and there from the bottom and add to the top so let see some transparency in the BVIHSA

  11. money? says:

    and pray tell where is all this money coming from ? As that will run into 10s of millions of dollars…

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  12. @Ahahaha says:

    they will need a pyrimid scheme to find the $15 million + that will be needed to pay this out

  13. real says:

    well you get up and give them work watch your words heathen

  14. WEW says:

    “hardworking public servants” ?????????????

  15. WHY says:

    please all the money they wasting its a shame majority of your workforce dont make at least 25k a year

  16. Vg boy says:

    September! In the hight of tax! Give me mine January 2024

  17. resident says:

    he better pay us before the election or he will be voted out, remember what happened to the tall guy

  18. True facts says:

    No voting until we get our incremental.

  19. Truth be told.. says:

    The politicians are lying to us. Its election time and their focus is winning by any means. The deputy gov is keeping us truthfully informed..

  20. My Voice says:

    Just a Question?

    Are those people who retired and was not given their increments before they retired. Are they going to get their increments still

    Just a Question?

  21. Irate says:

    YES!!!!!! HARDWORKING PUBLIC OFFICERS!!!!!
    BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT HAVE QUITE A FEW OF US. STOP!!! PUTTING EVERYONE IN THE SAME BASKET.

    THERE ARE PUBLIC OFFICERS WHO WORK THEIR BEHINDS OFF AND ARE NOT APPRECIATED AND NOT PROPERLY COMPENSATED.

    SO SHUT YOUR STUPID TRAP!!!!!!!

  22. Watchers says:

    I aint voting until i see my increments.

  23. Ajic says:

    Incompetence at its highest level. At the end of each year increments should be given accordingly. Stop allowing it to accumulate for years

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