BVI News

RDA boss getting annual salary of $300K, Premier confirms

CEO of the RDA Paul Bayly.

Amid a seeming veil of secrecy around the salary of Paul Bayly — the CEO of the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) — Premier Dr D Orlando Smith revealed on Thursday that the RDA boss takes home a base salary of $25,000 per month.

Speaking in the House of Assembly, Premier Smith said: “The agreement [between government and Bayly] provides for a sum of $300,000 per annum and an allowance $8,333.34 per annum. In addition, the Agency provides for one round-trip ticket for Mr Bayly and his family from New Zealand.”

And with the exception of the board’s CEO, its Chairman, and the three members who sit as representatives for the governor, the UK, and the Caribbean Development Bank, all members of the RDA board are paid a stipend.

Premier Smith described this as a “standard practise in the Virgin Islands public service”. He said the stipend board members receive is commensurate with what is typically paid by other statutory boards in the public service.

Dr Smith said the Deputy Chairman of the board is paid $30,000 per annum while the remaining members get an annual stipend of $9,600.

“In addition, as is standard practice in the other statutory boards in the government of the Virgin Islands, expenses incurred while in the execution of their duties as board members such as travelling and accommodation expenses are expected to be paid by the board, including allowance of $300 per day for overseas travel,” the Premier told the House of Assembly.

The RDA board comprises chairman Dr Robert Mathavious, deputy chair Clarence Faulkner, Pastor Gregory George who was selected by the Premier, Maria Mays who is the governor’s representative, Sharie DeCastro who was selected by the Opposition leader, David Hancock who is the UK’s representative, Monica La Bennett who was selected by the Caribbean Development Bank, and Clyde Lettsome — private sector representative.

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32 Comments

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  1. Open Bet says:

    that alone tells me it is not a local person holding down that job. I will bet $100 on that. They would never pay a local person that much, yet you tell me discrimination is not real

    Like 26
    Dislike 13
    • CW says:

      There isn’t a single local in the territory half as qualified as this man. This is specialty work and is paid accordingly. Since when did it become discrimination to only hire the best candidate for the job? SMH typical BVI entitlement.

      Like 38
      Dislike 25
      • @CW says:

        Thank you.

        Like 14
        Dislike 7
      • robin hood says:

        The amount of haters of local people in this place is staggering. Now I can see why local people have every right to feel threatened. Given the chance local people would only be waiters, waitresses, and bartenders. Just like what was originally intended when the Wickhams Cay was under development. Racism and disdain for local people is alive and well in the BVI in 2018. We need another Noel Lloyd and Positive Action Movement, it seems.

        Like 16
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        • Jono says:

          Actually locals are poor waiters, waitresses , bartenders generally.
          Locals should feel threatened, you’ve proven yourselves to be incompetent in just about any position.
          Not a very high demand for lazy incompetents.

          You could always go into local politics I suppose , one of the few areas where those traits seem to pay off.

          Like 2
          Dislike 1
          • To Jono says:

            Please crawl back into your expat mother’s h#*$ where you belong and have her catch a flight out of the BVI.????

          • Local says:

            The RDA’s office cannot even draft a proper response to applicants. Mine was FULL of errors and signed by an expat with a Master’s behind her name. (SMH) IMO, very INCOMPETENT!

            Like 1
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      • BVI My Second Home says:

        I have visited the BVI from my early teen and also had the pleasure of working in the BVI for a few years. I can assure you all of the governments, NDP, VIP would pay locals similar salary if in fact they are so qualified. However, as long as the citizens do not make a fuss at their decision and second guess their every move then all will be well.

        Please trust your own, none of them are perfect and having met all of them, they all want the best for the BVI. Anyone of these present leaders Walwyn, Fahie or Skelton are all capable of running the ship of state.

    • Byron says:

      Thank you! I thought it was only me thinking that.

      Like 8
      Dislike 11
    • Cran says:

      Yep because I know alot of locals that have done this job before

      Like 14
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    • Anonymous says:

      The locals can’t wipe their own a***s no less have the brain matter to do this job. Once the African is put into a position like this the only thought is kickbacks and stealing. The Territory is in a shambles because of the corrupt Africans. Do you really want more you stupes.

      Like 13
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      • To Anonymous says:

        With deep racist views like these, what are you even doing here living among us? Are you one of those white European pieces of trash who have been rejected by your own kind?

        Like 16
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      • @ Anonymous says:

        If your words are true and correct, and they are not, didn’t we Africans learned those corrupt behaviours from you Europeans? js!!

        Of what soul or his offspring is more so corrupt than that which enslaves another for monetary gain and never recompense him?

        On what moral historical ground do you so egregiously judge our government officials and our people?

        Last, your hatred of the African Caribbean, Tortolian is killing you slowly.

        God knows unless you have an earthly rebirth soon, hell is waiting you!

        Like 10
        Dislike 4
      • yesss says:

        preach it.

      • Jane says:

        Your vile racism has no place here. F*** off to whatever hole you crawled out of.

    • Oops says:

      Curruption rife, rife, rife! What is his qualification in comparison to the other board members? How many boards each members sits on? Does any of the members sits on any other board and what is the annual salary/stipend for each of them? As far as I know some of these people are well employed some with government others privately so these guys and gals true annual income could be in the region of 200k! But who can’t get increments for years don’t cry so says the head of the departments. Smbh!

      Like 6
      Dislike 1
  2. Open bet response says:

    Show me a Local with similar qualifications? DDM ran out of the building crying when the storm hit…stop obsessing about the mans salary and start fixing your damn yard

    Like 14
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  3. Not so ...... says:

    At least we know what he is robbing us of and we can hold him accountable. The others (and we know who they are) are still robbing us, have yet to be held accountable, do not believe they will ever be held accountable, and will never come clean because they control everything! Even their own audits.

    So while I am sad we do not have a local in charge. At least we the people know what we are getting right up front. As long as he does a good job and spends our money wisely and carefully for the maximum benefit of our people, it is a small price to pay in the grand scheme. Compare that to what we’ve seen to date from those we have entrusted the welfare of our country to and the picture is pretty clear who I’d rather have looking out for us!

    Like 8
    Dislike 3
  4. Hmmm says:

    I love that phrase, Private Sector Representative. Who in the private sector picked Clyde? Puppet on a string for the chosen few. That’s how it works here. The bulk of us get no say so whatsoever.

    Like 6
    Dislike 2
  5. Disinterested says:

    Wow! A glorified construction project manager pulling the wool over government/taxpayers eyes and earning $308K per annum. What does the Premier, Governor, ministers of government, director of FSC……..etc make? A qualified local would not be paid over $300K. Clear evidence of self hatred. On another note, why do people serving on boards, commissions, committees…..etc paid? They should be gladly volunteer to serve the community.

    Like 10
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  6. Anonymous says:

    The enemy of the state getting paid $300.000 to misappropriate the economy of the state.

    Do not believe neither the Hon. Premier or his government has a handle on this looming Irma2 that will permanently destroy us.

    Like 7
    Dislike 10
  7. Raincheck says:

    Have you seen the CV of Paul Bayly and what he has done elsewhere hence why he was picked for probably the most important job in the BVI right now? Yes it is a lot of money but getting it right at this time is what will save us much more in the long run.

    Like 12
    Dislike 1
    • Open bet says:

      Here is another open bet. After paying this expat man all that money, and at the end of his contract, there won’t be any revolutionary changes in our local circumstances for the better. We will still be the same if not worse off.

      Like 7
      Dislike 1
    • No second chances says:

      His job is too important, we’re not likely to get a second chance at this.
      Look at the state of our our finances. No accountability and no heads have rolled. Do we always put the right person in the job? We have a Dr as Premier and pay his wife a large consulting fee. The former Financial Secretary was an engineer, now negiotiating with the OECD. We had a local running Mossacks for years, they didnt get ‘bad’ overnight it was decades of questionable activity!
      The civil service must pay well. Have you looked in the Admin Building car park lately? Bet that Maserati isnt Mr Bayleys! We got plenty of our own who have misappropriated the economy

  8. SMH says:

    They benefiting off the tragedy of the VI People!

    Like 6
    Dislike 5
  9. Just Curious says:

    Question: Why is this man salary a big issue? If I am reading correctly the Premier said that the “contract” with the man caused him to get a salary for the amount stated. Now what is a contract? My limited brain tells menthat a contract between two or more persons coming to an agreement. So if this was an agreement which both parties accepted then why are we spewing venom? Obviously if we all had the qualification like this man we would like the job for ourselves and the perks and salary that goes with it. We need to stop being petty and start te rebuilding of the BVI. What the Honourable Premier need to do is show us transparency and let us revisit some of the projects where millions of dollars have gone unaccountable for and we the taxpayers have to suck up to it because nobody cares about our concerns but election is coming and our votes will speak louder than their silence.

    Like 5
    Dislike 2
  10. Stop complaining says:

    A lot of you may not truly understand the type of work the man does. I personally think he is underpaid. You put a local in certain positions,they are going to mess up.

    Like 6
    Dislike 5
  11. Real says:

    Why are we so concerned about the boss man salary? Work he did before is testimony that he knows what he is doing. No one is questioning our locals who are on salaries and yet getting stipend. Why is the deputy getting 30,000. ?Is the deputy on a different salary as well? Looking at the whole thing it looks like even that is going to be a problem if NDP is involved.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  12. Jane says:

    I see a lot of comments from people saying “why no local in this job”? The truth is that this gentleman is a global specialist in what he does. Government could give some BVIslanders an opportunity to learn his trade by shadowing him and working with him. Next time there is a big hurricane, then there would be local expertise in recovery. That’s the way of getting value added from having him here. Sadly, that type of mentoring would need our visionary leaders to implement it so once again that will be a lost opportunity for the people of these islands. Government can’t see beyond the end of their brown envelopes…

    Like 6
    Dislike 2
  13. Anonymous says:

    The real question is what he has accomplished so far? Is that satisfactory?

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