Premier defends lawmakers’ pay hike amid criticisms
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has once again addressed public concerns regarding salary increases for lawmakers in the territory, emphasising the necessity of fair compensation across all levels of government.
The controversial Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021, commonly known as the Greedy Bill, was met with strong public opposition. The law granted lawmakers lump sum payments, gratuities, and guaranteed salaries for years to come, even after they were voted out of office after serving as first-term legislators.
Lawmakers amended the legislation last year, but this did not prevent some who benefited from the law’s passage from accessing hundreds of thousands due to them.
Speaking on the Talking Points show recently, Dr Wheatley clarified the distinction between salaries and retirement benefits, noting that previous base salaries for legislators were inadequate. He pointed out that some legislators had base salaries of just $36,000 annually. Allowances were introduced initially to address this disparity, but retirement benefits were calculated solely on base salaries, leading to further imbalances.
“It was seen that the legislators didn’t make a proper adequate salary. That’s what was seen before,” Premier Wheatley clarified. “What happened with the retirement bill is the retirement was [previously] only calculated on the base salary versus on everything.”
Meanwhile, the Premier explained that the Deputy Governor’s Office, in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), developed a new salary scale encompassing all public service positions, including Permanent Secretaries and the Deputy Governor. This scale ensures supervisors earn more than their subordinates, promoting fairness and encouraging professional development.
He also addressed criticisms about the timing of salary increases amid economic challenges, asserting that the government implemented raises across the board, with some individuals seeing their salaries doubled. This move aimed to lift all public officers above the living wage, ensuring equitable compensation.
“We need a system that’s fair… where everybody can afford to live,” Dr Wheatley stated. “The philosophy was to lift persons above what was called the living wage. But after everybody in the society is making a living wage, what we need to encourage persons is [to] educate yourself, work hard, perform, and you have opportunities for upward mobility.”
In April 2024, the government announced that all 2,499 public officers had been transitioned to a new salary structure, ensuring earnings above the living wage.
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Now, Premier, I understand why allowances were introduced back then, but now!?! What’s the purpose of the representatives’ allowances if their salaries were increased? Each representative still takes home 100k or more in allowances.
With the new salary increase, why are you all raping taxpayers monies?????
You walk over that in your statement, like allowances are not active and are being received by representatives.
Housing allowance $72,000 annually
Entertainment Allowance $20,000 annually
Utilities allowance $15,600 Annually
Who messed up in the first place
2,499 public officers is too much, we need to be like elon and d.o.g.e and cut some of then dead weight
IS SAYING )> OUR MASTER ) NOW AH KNOW Y’ALL AINT GONNA TAKE THIS WITH A SMILE BUT WAH Y’ALL THINK ALL THE FREE JAMZ WERE FOR ? – PLUS KARTEL’S MONEY , HAD TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE , AND ITS NOT
GONNA BE FROM OUR POLITIANS ALLOWANCES ~ NOPE
Lawmakers RAISING THEIR ALREADY HIGH SALARY. LAWMAKERS GIVING YOU THE VOTERS WHO AREN’T EDUCATED LIKE THEM AN EXTRA $2.50 SO YOU CAN MAKE A WHOPPING $8.50. LOL at this point if you poor and earning $6.00 and you a voting citizen it don’t make sense to vote. GO find an extra job or sell drugs NO GOVERNMENT LIKES YOU.
Is this the same person that was claiming our economy is so robust? Same one that say we not broke? The same one that say he paying the Airport workers their increments and here we are 4 years later with not a penny or word of reprieve. If the country sinks it sinks and I hope these sheeple know who is to blame.
People at the lowest end of the spectrum can’t get a pay increase, but these mother fu**kers who makes more than what at least 100 minimum wage workers make in a year ( they make it in a month), and yet they think that they need a pay increase. These f**kers need to rot in f**king hell. Natalio who are ?…You people are greedy
People are so caught up in stupid politics that they’re worried about the wrong things. The BVI has 2,500 Civil Servants. This doesn’t include persons at statutory bodies, but you are concerned about what politicians are making?
Your statement shows a lack of understanding of economies in the region or in any small country. Government in most cases are usually the largest employer as they are often the driver of economic growth. In places like America, the private sector is by far the largest employer hence the bed rock of economic development.
Government therefore needs to simulate private sector development, encourage innovation and introduce programs to encourage and stimulate entrepreneurship.
Until that time, government will continue to be the largest employer.
He defending it because he soon going to need it.
Why not call it unemployment benefit
’emphasising the necessity of fair compensation across all levels of government.’
‘Virgin Islands employees have expressed frustration over the Ministry of Financial Services’ recent postponement of the planned minimum wage increase.’
Ok if you’re a government worker I guess (the large majority of which are Virgin Islanders). Screw everybody else……..
heir major and personal political goal upon being elected. And, the hve skillfully succeeded. They are. now all rich and getting rich ecah day.
Mhile neither current nor retired civil servants, especially teachers, cannot make ends met because they are being left out of the financial mandates of the counry’s economy.
Happy to see you have retired, ever heard of proof reading? Hoping you were only administrative or maybe teaching math? On topic though, can the general public get an idea of what public officers and civil servants actually make for a salary? If I’m “Honorable” and have a PhD I wouldn’t get out of bed for less than a 200K a year.
Nuff said.
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