RDA CEO’s resignation will have serious implications for the BVI
Leader of Opposition Marlon Penn has said he believes the recent resignation of the Recovery & Development Agency’s (RDA) Chief Executive Officer, Paul Bayly, will result in a number of recovery projects being stalled.
Penn made the comment on Thursday at the first Opposition press conference since Alvera Maduro-Caines crossed over to the VIP administration.
He said while he was not surprised by Bayly’s resignation, the absence of a leader in the RDA will have serious implications for the BVI.
“The RDA has been starved in terms of funding, to execute its mandate and agenda, as it relates to recovery. I think it has serious implications because there is a recovery development plan, that is on the table for the RDA. They have a particular mandate to redevelop a large portion of the infrastructure as it relates to the territory,” Penn stated.
He added: “The road infrastructure that we see, a lot of our road have been undermined from the storm and the flooding that we had recently, and without leadership at that institution, it says to me that that process will stall.”
Concerns regarding pace of recovery
Penn further said that he and other members of the Opposition are gravely concerned on the pace of the territory’s recovery process moving forward.
He said: “We haven’t finalised the loan guarantee which will underpin the actual recovery process for the territory. The loans ultimately have to be approved by the United Kingdom and it has to come to the House of Assembly for approval.”
“We have a budget currently of 49-plus million dollars of loans that need to be approved in order to carry out the government’s agenda as it relates to recovery. That doesn’t speak to the actual loans that are necessary for the RDA to carry out their responsibilities. So this is a blow for us in our recovery,” he further said.
The RDA’s Board of Directors announced the resignation of Bayly via a statement on Tuesday, January 14.
Bayly was originally appointed as RDA’s boss in 2018 and was paid an annual salary of $300,000.
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This dude needs to hush right now. He is too pessimistic about everything. He only sees negative, and what you see is what you get.
The fact is the man is right. The RDA was put in place to limit the funds the government would be allowed to put their dirty hands on from the loans to be guaranteed by the U.K. That being said, the U.K. clearly knows that the BVI will never be able to repay the loans however they are willing to guarantee as long as the money is used properly. Meaning, it doesn’t end up in the pockets of government officials, doesn’t get wasted on crooked schemes and work isn’t given out to cronies of the government without real and proper bidding. Soooo….. this is reality and get ready to deal with it.
@THIS DUDE. I agree with your comments 100%. Instead of this Represntative saying what he is trying to assist the Administration in doing for the Territory, he is just being negative in every aspect about everything. All of a sudden he has Runs of his mouth and going none stop. If he sees incompetence or non implementation of what can be beneficial to the Territory, yes, take it to the Cabinet or better still, have Meetings held in your District to involve the People. Stop this negative runting episodes while not contributing anything to the Progression of the Territory. He needs to think and analyze before he talk, appearing like the Donald. Ignorant, Incompetent and Beyond being reprehensible.
We were all complaining about the condition of the roads long before the flooding and hurricanes. That was under your Government Sir!
Whether in opposition or the ruling party, HOA members are Virgin Islanders and should band together for the public good. ” The RDA has been starved in terms of funding, to execute its mandate and agenda, as it relates to recovery.” This is regurgitation of muck by an actor that is just vex because one of the boys resigned from his $350K plus allowances. We need to get away from the notion that if you are in opposition government can not even accidentally do anything right.
Here is a news flash. Paul Bayly’s resigning as CEO of RDA is not going to cause the sky to fall in. There are other project managers that can do the job and for less compensation. Heaven forbid if Bayly had a massive coronary what would happened? Didn’t Bayly have a deputy that can at least carry on until another project manager is hired? Why have a deputy if he/she is only a paper deputy?
Let’s stop the self hatred. If a Virgin Islander were hired as a project manager and paid $350K +allowances, many of us will be up in arms. In fact doubt he/she would not have gotten to first base with such a demand. But if you are White, you are right and if you Brown stick around and if you Black get back. Opposition start seeing the glass as half full, not half empty. Let’s stop the self-hatred.
There comes a time when someone needs to call the police for public harassment. I feel this opposition leader is harrassing the public and the government. I will be making a report to the police station on this nonsense. ???
Silly news day.
Marlon is a disappointment.
Paul Bayly’s resignation will have serious implications for us. Imagine, this Premier hasn’t placed one penny in the RDA’s hands. Not one penny. Ask Treasury. He’s starving the agency because of his love for Power.
Are you that dense to fall for this coonery. RDA started less than 3 years ago. We didn’t need them before 2017. Why would we need them now. The worst of the impacts of Irma has long gone. What can RDA do that we aren’t capable of doing.
So long as the replacement is going to be a qualified Virgin Islander first; and if non can be had, someone from the Caribbean Diaspora, this will be all good pickings all around. And hopefully not another loud mouth who has not, to this day, shown any results for all that has been awarded thus far. And I am honestly speaking here.
@007. Watch your tone of words or you will be neutralized with equal measure. You better recognize, not everyone can be bullied around.
@007. Please watch your tone of words or you will be neutralized with equal measure. You better recognize; not everyone can be bullied around.
The RDA can focus on recovery and Gov’t can run the country, increases revenue streams and position the Territory for greater prosperity. Let the RDA do what it was created to do. The public service needs as much help as it can get. they already need assistance running themselves much less running themselves and rebuilding the country simultaneously. Let the RDA do the job it was created to do. Let the RDA focus on the recovery. Let Government make policies and run the country. Wire bend. Story end
Marlon taking the Leader of the Opposition title way too literally. In the context of government, opposition means on the other side not opposing everything.
No man he got to go. I don’t know if Irma worst. Who’s going to save the NDP. Look what Doc work come to.
Come on man Fraser. You hanging in hog dunk with the opposition ladder. You a senior statesman not need to follow this embarrassment. One time you need not be stubborn.
TRY LEAVE FRASER OUT ARYO MESS
Since most of the voters didn’t predict the need for a coalition government to protect the collective, we need the RDA and any other form of “DA” we can get, to keep this new set of government “gang in training,” sorry typos included, meant gov’t leaders, in check. Sorry, their hands to the little bit left in the treasury at the moment, seem to be moving waayyy too fast to clean that little bit out already. And the bulk hasn’t even been approved as yet. Caution is needed. The free for all has to stop sometime if we are to progress as a collective. We can’t be doing the same things with each gov’t and expect different results. Something new has to be implemented, and that’s the RDA. Now, let of all move on until we decide to do better.
@Cautioned. Did you mean… “Now, let us all move on until we decide to do better? Now, totally agree with that.
Experience is not something that one can go to the store and buy; it comes with time. And Hon Penn’s leadership inexperience is glaring, having had the leader of opposition thing drop in his lap due to circumstances. Let’s take a peek back to late Feb 2019 on the NDP side. Mark had his issues and Alvera who knows so it was Marlon. However, it is not only Marlon that is afflicted with inexperience bug but also government. The Premier is the only one on the government side with any legislative experience and he is behaving like a rookie. There is a dearth of leadership and management executive experience; experience matters. This Paul Bayly leaving issue is just a red herring. Bayly is not indispensable. Next.
Experience is not something that one can go to the store and buy; it comes with time. And Hon Penn’s leadership inexperience is glaring, having had the leader of opposition thing drop in his lap due to circumstances. Let’s take a peek back to late Feb 2019 on the NDP side. Mark had his issues and Alvera who knows so it was Marlon. However, it is not only Marlon that is afflicted with inexperience bug but also government. The Premier is the only one on the government side with any legislative experience and he is behaving like a rookie. There is a dearth of leadership and management executive experience; experience matters. This Paul Bayly leaving issue is just a red herring. Bayly is not indispensable. Next. Nothing to see here.
Judas undermined Mr.bayly the same way he undermined Hon Fraser
Fahie voted for the RDA when he was in the opposition. Now he is in government he don’t want them. That is what I call hypocritical
Marlon you’re annoying as h**l. I would think that if any head of anything or anywhere resigns, common sense would tell you that 1)things will stall for a moment or 2)some substitutions would be made until a replacement takes place. Stop being so touchy and grabby at everything, trying to shine a negative light to every situation to make the other members look bad. It’s not going to help you in any way, shape, or form in your political reform. What you need to do is do YOUR work. Since you got in, I haven’t seen you done anything for the people or your district. Matter of fact, name one thing you have contributed to the table since you’ve been re-elected? Oh! I forgot your production has been STALLED too. When you live in a glass house don’t throw stones. Either do the people’s work or go back to Punta Canta until next election bro, you’re starting to disgust me.
P.S. your district needs special attention-start with the roads, the cleanliness, the sewage, the garbage, the roofless house tops, the jobless young people, the derelict vehicles..do I need to go on?
Hypocritical is the opposition bawling when they had 8 years and had the country in the gutter. Sewerage money diverted, plane and 7.2 mil went missing, Mark overspend by 40mil, Myron corrupt wall, the rudeness in shutting down people in house of assembly, their sense of entitlement like the rest of BVI stupid, giving themself and friends big job and trips, unemployment, victimization, giving themself computer contract, giving themself catering work and pocketing some from $100K dinner for teachers, bullying, stinking garbage and nasty road, hush hush infighting, disrespectful and show off, lies from the head to the botttom. All this and more while tricky doc act like he sleeping. Now these crooks want a 10 month miracle to clean them mess and move the country forward.
BEFORE 25 FEBRUARY 2019 THE PEOPLE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WERE NOTHING TO THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY ONLY WHEN THEY NEED VOTES.
We need to keep an eye on the RDA. The same people that destroyed the central Government is now running the RDA. This is a problem.
Interesting take on things….
Don’t make a mockery of yourself. The people in the RDA from Govt are ensuring the recovery is done right
So true. You can run but you can’t hide
Glad their are some who brave enough to make a stand against you little minions. Run and hide is not likely, if y’ll 5 brain cells can connect properly. All will be revealed in due time. Revelations.
These evil people in the VIP are trying to confuse the public with using the same banner. They are not original, just a bunch of evil and dumb copy ???. No original strategies in their tool belts that’s why their reign will be short.
Any country anywhere needs a healthy, strong and functional opposition. It appears that Marlon is seeing that, perhaps as a result of Maduro-Caines crossing the floor, and seems to be calling out the Premier on all kinds of issues. This is right and proper. It should not simply be a case of VIslander vs non-VIslander, it should be a case of what is right for the voters to get the best opportunities in the future. Pretty much nobody ever has been given a fair and deserved new opportunity through a one-party system. Opposition is indeed supposed to oppose and help hold government to account.