BVI News

Paul Bayly resigns as CEO of RDA

Paul Bayly

Paul Bayly has resigned as the CEO of the BVI’s Recovery & Development Agency (RDA).

This was confirmed by a statement from the RDA late Tuesday, January 14.

The statement said: “It is with regret that the Board of Directors of the Recovery & Development Agency has accepted the resignation of CEO, Paul Bayly.”

It continued: “The Board wishes to thank Mr Bayly for his support to the Board and leadership of the Agency and wish him every success in his future endeavours.”

No longer needed

The statement said the skills of the New Zealander was no longer needed at the RDA.

“Since his appointment in 2018, Mr Bayly has been critical to both the establishment of the RDA and the excellent work undertaken by the Agency to date. The RDA structure was designed to meet the needs and ambitions of the original $600 million Recovery to Development Plan, with a team of technical experts equipped with the skills to deliver an ambitious recovery that would be stronger, smarter, more resilient and sustainable.”

The statement further said that his “infrastructure experience, including large scale disaster recovery, was critical to the successful establishment of the RDA”.

However, it said the revised Recovery to Development Plan has considerably reduced the scale of proposed works and projects to be implemented by the RDA than was anticipated when the Agency was first established. 

“Mr Bayly proposed and the Board has accepted that there is no longer the same requirement for Mr Bayly’s skills. He leaves the RDA well positioned to deliver the revised Recovery to Development Plan for the Government and people of the BVI.”

Bayly was paid an annual salary of $300,000 per year.

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23 Comments

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  1. Ummm says:

    So what exactly were those skill that cost $300k???

    Like 9
    Dislike 18
  2. Deh Watcha says:

    “it said the revised Recovery to Development Plan has considerably reduced the scale of proposed works and projects to be implemented by the RDA”…..hmmm, not sure how to take that statement.

    Like 12
  3. Here it comes says:

    A Belonger will be appointed with a salary of $200k plus all he can skim off the top for all his family and cronies. No shot of having the U.K. guarantee any loans now. Good luck BVI. Your going to need it.

    Like 36
    Dislike 7
  4. wow says:

    dramatically reducing the scope of an agency of disaster recovery and infrastructure experts does not sound like a positive development for the BVI. Presumably this story is not unrelated to yesterday’s about the current Government still dragging it’s feet on the low cost loan guarantee that has been available for two years.

    To those who say we don’t need it:
    – Look at yesterday’s financial services stats. We do need the low cost money that this guarantee is designed to bring.
    – Just because we get by in squalor doesn’t make it right. Our roads are costing us money in repairs and putting off tourism. Our sewage and other infrastructure needs to be replaced properly with up to date and resilient products not just makeshift patch ups that will fall to bits or be outdated soon.
    – most importantly, our schools require a drastic overhaul and investment. Only in those establishments will the future economic security of our people be built. They were not up to scratch before and they need to be built futureproof and staffed to internationally high standards.

    The trickery and innuendo being used to hold back the country is debilitating and must end now.

    We should have gleaming new infrastructure, services and amenities by now, just like other places after wars and disasters (most obvious one being our nearest competitor, Cayman). We have broken roads and the stench of sewage. It’s not acceptable to treat the people of the BVI this way.

    Like 38
    Dislike 2
    • HUH says:

      It appears as though this party is still in campaign mode. Please note that such a strategy will not work in the BVI. Someone has reduced the scope of works for the RDA so we can put someone else on the inside that is a BVI lander. When it comes to certain issues or concerns, we need the best to help us and train our people. When it comes to recovery and DEVELOPMENT let us not play politics. All involved will be involved. Do not play with the lives of our children and the next generation.

  5. hmmm says:

    Now the door is opened for an incompetent VIP supporter!

    Like 36
    Dislike 4
  6. Suffer says:

    This really does not care about this BVI!

  7. Haha says:

    Irma was the worst disaster in the history of the BVI but there should be no way in the world that we should have been paying anybody $300,000 a year to lead our recovery.

    First of all we have a government and a governor why should we have an overpaid overseer doing something that every country has been faced with doing. The job wasn’t so big that government or somebody in the BVI couldn’t handle. All around the world there are people with qualifications and all around the world people with qualifications have failed. Big firms and companies go bankrupt. There was no need to bring anybody for that salary.

    It wasn’t a dire situation where if we dont get somebody to “manage” the recovery the BVI was doomed. Then you look around what have the RDA done that we couldn’t do ourselves. The fire station and police headquarters doesn’t look like anything that required a $300,000 expertise to fix. All that was being done is the same thing government has been doing, looking at tenders and choosing one. The High school still separated so what was RDA’s purpose besides taking the power out of the hands of the local government.

    Like 11
    Dislike 19
    • Exactly says:

      Why pay an outsider $300k to do nothing if nothing is what we’ve chosen?
      The RDA was castrated by petty BVI localism. The guy had enough because – so I heard – even with all his experience he hadn’t seen this kind of arrogance, greed and corruption anywhere in the world.
      Smart move. Take your cash and go somewhere you’ll get at least minimal respect for your skills and experience.
      And btw in the real world people get paid $300k to manage these kind of funds and projects. That may be news to some. But that’s in the real world.

      Like 24
      Dislike 6
    • fda says:

      that’s 1/1000, or .1% commission, essentially, to have someone with skill and experience controlling the rda, and the potential waste and trying to get vallue, based on $300 m loan. Every year, the inept gov of either stripe burns $300m +. what u think is of value for that money? i bet an audit would find 60 million annually minimum, flushed down toilet as there is scarce intelligent leadership or management in gov.

  8. For real says:

    @hmmm, an Inept incompetent supporter that is going to screw things up. LOL, typical bushman Island style politics is getting served up on a wooden platter.

    Like 17
  9. Quiet Rebel says:

    The VIP government is still in negotiation with the UK over the proposed £300M (~$400M) loan guarantee. It is important to note that the UK is not lending the VI £300M; it is just co-signing for the loan, meaning that if the VI reneges on paying back the loan, the UK will be on the hook for it. Lenders like co-sign loans, for they reduce their risks; reduce risk equates to lower APR. Further, for the UK to co-sign for the loan, the VI had to meet certain terms and conditions, ie, establishing the RDA.

    Subsequently, Paul Bayly was hired as the CEO of the RDA at a sum of $350K per year plus allowances. Furthermore, some bloggers on another commentary are wondering if the £300M is still needed and why not hold it in abeyance since the BVI is forging ahead. What happens if the BVI declines the UK loan guarantee?

    Moreover, supposedly one of the CEO’s tasks was to raise funding. Say what? Nevertheless, many residents were not impressed or satisfied with the output from the CEO. Now, the CEO has resigned, creating a vacancy.

    To fill the vacancy, the VIP needs to look closely at qualified Virgin Islanders ( locals and belongers) with demonstrated construction and project management experience. Failing to find any qualified/experienced local, then hire a qualified person from outside the territory at a fair and reasonable rate. By the way, part of the next CEO’s responsibility should not be finding funding. That is the responsibility of the owner, ie, the government/people of the VI.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
    • @ Quiet Rebel says:

      You really have no clue. The RDA was set up because the people (Belongers) of the BVI could not be trusted. The reason for the UK to guarantee the loans is because the people (Belongers) couldn’t be trusted to repay the loan. Now in your infinite wisdom you want to appoint a local (Belonger) to head the agency that was set up because the people (Belonger) can’t be trusted. The U.K. is not going to guarantee any loans where the locals are able to get their grubby hands on it. If you can’t figure out what I just said let me say it in more simple terms. The U.K. and all the banks consider you people crooks, thieves and racist b******s and won’t loan you squat

      Like 7
      Dislike 5
    • Waiting... says:

      ……………

      Still waiting…………

      Surely if there is a highly experienced senior disaster recovery infrastructure specialist on island already, we would know who it is by now…?!

      Labour:

      Government:

      NDP:

      People in the BVI: what? You undermine the expert for two years, denying funds, and then threaten to cut corners so he leaves and you don’t have anyone qualified for the role?

      Well maybe Claude has just about built a church complex so… he could build a state of the art infrastructure with all that knowledge. International lenders will be impressed by him because… erm…

      Like 1
      Dislike 1
  10. Sham says:

    The agency under his leadership did not do any heavy recovery engineering projects on undermined roads, guard rails, drains or anything like that.

    Like Fraser said, all he did was collect waste.
    And even then no placement of the big dumpsters for bulk waste at designated places on set days of each month.

    Total sham, I bet the Chinese would have done a better job.

    Like 3
    Dislike 6
  11. Musa says:

    Mr Perry south or Vincent o’neal will do a great job.

    Dislike 15
  12. No nonsense says:

    But, I don’t see what the bvi complaining about the man’s salary for. WE AIN’T PAYINING HIM. IT’S THE UK TAX PAYERS MONEY PAYING HIM. VIP government just to get dem hand on the money and do shyte!

    Like 14
    Dislike 3

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