Premier justifies 4-year public service increment wait
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has explained why some public servants may have to wait an additional four years before receiving their promised salary increments earned several years ago.
Public servants were initially promised that they would receive all of their outstanding increments by the end of the second quarter last year, however, Cabinet made a shocking disclosure in December last year that increments may be delayed for some public servants by as much as four additional years.
Up to January 15, Dr Wheatley said over 2,000 public officers were paid increments for the 2018 – 2019 work years and said this number represents a combined total of active and separated public officers.
“The Department of Human Resources continues to work extremely hard to complete this phase of the process while simultaneously working to begin the process for implementation of the new salary structure,” the Premier added.
According to the Premier, the Cabinet decided that all outstanding increment arrears for the public service are to be paid by 2027, subject to the availability of funding and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
“The rationale for extending the period to 2027, is so that the outstanding amounts can be spread across several budget years,” the Premier explained.
He added: “Just for clarity. Persons would be paid their outstanding arrears by 2027, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t happen before.”
Dr Wheatley shared that Cabinet also decided that the ongoing increment salary adjustments for the period 2020 to 2022, scheduled to be completed in December 2023, should also include the adjustment of a step for the 2023 incremental work year.
The Premier also told lawmakers that it was important to note that the total staff complement of the public service has fluctuated during the period 2018 to present. “As such, the estimated number of public officers has increased from the 2,261 initially reported to an approximate 2,496 at the conclusion of 2023,” Dr Wheatley said.
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BUT THE $250,000 PARTY COULDN’T WAIT?
You took the words out of my mouth. That $250K that was wasted on some party could have gone towards some people’s increment. Who the hell wants to wait for 4 more years to get their increment? People could be dead by then.
Can I pay my water and electric bills among other bills 4 years from now Mr. Premier? Could you tell the utility companies to hold off on cutting off my light and water for the next 4 years until I get my increment? Fair is Fair.
By the way, if you attended that $250K free party and you were owed an increment, have a seat. You defeated your own purpose. So don’t complain after you did and help spent money you could have had in your pockets. Keep quiet and wait your 4 years.
In addition, if you voted for this Circus, do not say anything at all. Go and sit down for four more years and think about what you’ve done. Will you make the same mistake again? Only time can tell.
SO, YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL NEXT ELECTION TO GET YOUR INCREMENT WHAT A THING SMH
ELECTION YEAR WOW BRIGHT FELLOW
Bright fellows!!!!! The whole gang of them.
4 yrs you will not be Premier, so, If we want increment we have to ensure that you become Premier…These people think they are so Smart, Lorna too.
It is obvious that the country needs some more inward investment. Fix the road to cruise pier add another dock capable of accommodating the larger sized vessels. Catalogue all your historic sites and restore and develop more of them to make island tours more appealing. Focus on proper maintenance of Beef Island to West End our main road. Improve the condition of West End Ferry Terminal. Prioritize the redevelopment of Prospect Reef facilities including option to expand size of the property to include berthing for mega yachts and Cruise ships. This should be the focus on the heels of implementing the COI recommendations that were agreed to. A two year project to renovate the Old Administration Building in Road Town paid for by savings from decreased rental expenses. There must be ongoing development projects to keep the economy moving to generate the funds that are needed for improvement. It can be done with the right focus and serious attention.
All these elected officials seems to need help. But in reality they know what they are doing or not doing. Major change is needed and they are fighting against that every chance they get. They put more effort in maintaining their agendas than helping this country.
LOL and just like that he secures his defeat in the next election.
Interesting. So this secured his defeat? Not the other one hundred and one stupid things rhat has been revealed before this? What a sad population, for lack of a better word.
Hon. Mr. Premier Wheatley. The civil servants, active and retired, are not privy to the circumstances that led to your decision to delay payments of increments.
However, the segment of the population that is catergorized as “RETIRED” is asking you to reconsider your decision in their interest.
Why, the vast majority of them have multiple health issues which are requiring serious medical interventions and funds.
The latter is in very low supply and their life and health are suffering as a result, since they have already been waiting over fifteen to twenty years, some of them, to receive their earned monies.
They need you to become more cognizant and emphatic to those vulnerable people that are in immediate needof money, health care life saving medicines and day to day survival.
Please reconsider your stance and order that all retirees are paid forthwith.
Oops! My bad, I should not have spent that $250,000 on no party. And American airlines is not sure to even continue flying. Well I am no accountant with any financial degree.
That is why yiu vote for competence not because someonr is
Your famiky
Your friend or you can get benifit?
Thst should hold some of you
No one should be entitled to increments – why should anyone be rewarded just for sitting in the same job for another year? Civil servants should NOT get to retire after only 25 years – they should work until official retirement age of 65. Everyone else does.
If civil servants don’t like it, then they can leave and work elsewhere, as there are THOUSANDS of jobs done by people on work permits.
It’s about time that civil servants accepted that, in the BVI, they have an amazingly privileged position to work as little as they want and still get paid while often running their own side business.
What going on here? FAHEY used 83k of drug money to settle VIP Party debt per the Beacon reporting today. This party can’t be trusted to handle COI Reform
He was found GUILTY today Thursday Check the Beacon
VIP party need to go. New elections please
he will have to wait another 4 years again for my vote
Pwd need to know that … HOG … used the backhoe for his own use to move boat and the road block up only PWD will give a a** like he a Boss position big hockey fool
Clearly there are much more severe financial issues at play if this needs to be spread out over 4 years. Imagine telling your bank that the 3 years worth of back payments you owe will probably be made by 2027, maybe sooner. What reaction would you expect?
It’s time for the UK to step in and take over before the BVI sinks completely.
No confidence vote now. Throw him out
Has BVI news not noticed that Fahie is in court and on trial?
HE WAS FOUND GUILTY
Presumed innocent until 17:41.
Nope, we all pretty much knew he was guilty. But this had to play out
4 years to pay.
But the greedy bill pass with no issueslmfao.
COVID grants handed out like hot cakes to family and friends.
250k party for no sensible reason.
But giving people their increment is too much and requires so much thought and time
You can’t make this sh*t up mehson. Smhd
He needs leverage for the next election. I calling it now. The payment of the overdue increments in four years will secure his victory. This will prove his point the he is playing the people like a fiddle and he can because they are too gullible, simple and backward minded. Reason why I am not voting. You cannot beat the level of ignorance in the country. It is too great and your premier knows this. The people are the laughing stock or else where are the protests.
This is bull shit nonsense.
Fahie guilty and we reading about this? Where have the press been in this trial?
With their heads up their skirts, afraid and at the behest of their true master, the 1% ers that are clutching their purses (clearly acting) ashamed that they allowed and accepted all of this activity to happen as long as the status quo stays the same
The media spent more time focusing on the reason that this was wrong was UK’s involvement in the back when they should have been objectively reporting. Shame on you Tola Radio, JTV 284 Media, BVI News BVI Platinum
Now what will they do, now that we all know that the VIP party was partially funded by drug money?
That the outcome of projection counting the chicken before they hatch…
why couldn’t the greedy bill take effect in 2027 also?