Rymer refutes $500 per diem claims
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer has refuted claims that members of the government receive a travel allowance of $500 per day each time they embark on overseas assignments.
Hot Seat co-host Daniel Davies said he understood that government ministers and other high-ranking government officials receive that amount and were not required to submit any receipts for their expenses.
Davies questioned why officials needed that kind of money and how they were able to skirt accountability in the process.
“These things are supposed to cover incidentals such as food, which is free anyway because they go on these conferences and food is usually paid for. Transportation – transportation is generally paid for. Is it right?” Davies questioned.
Other Hot Seat co-hosts, Walwyn Brewley and Julian Gordon, said officials can take their per diem and do whatever they want with it, including spending at casinos if they choose to do this since the funds are privileged.
Davies suggested, however, that ministers travel very frequently and should reimburse the amounts that they do not spend since they were spending ‘the people’s money’.
“Five hundred dollars per day per diem is not something that I think is sustainable if it is that much. But even if it is a bit less, five hundred dollars per day, that’s more than most people earn in a week,” Davies added. “What on earth are you doing with that kind of money?”
But Rymer disputed the claims of officials receiving large spending allowances and disclosed that officials receive just a $100 per diem instead.
The Minister also suggested that these figures can be verified with officials in the government’s Human Resources Department.
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We in trouble..
‘Other Hot Seat co-hosts, Walwyn Brewley and Julian Gordon, said officials can take their per diem and do whatever they want with it, including spending at casinos if they choose to do this since the funds are privileged.’
This, right here, is why the BVI is in so much trouble. This entitled attitude to do whatever officials want, including wasting public funds at a casino, is one of the reasons the COI came to town.
And GM Brewley should know that they really get it. He once served in the house. Is the current minister lieing?
A hundred dollars is not money when I use to work for immigration as an officer once we travel overseas it was 50.00 dollars a night for allowance and that was locally within the BVI. So for a minister to receive 100.00 that’s not bad.
What is so sad is the we the citizens of the BVI are about to lose what little privileges we have due to the irresponsible behavior of our politicians.
No per diem is that high in Government. The other ministers know that too. They travel from time to time and don’t get that even when they travel to the UK.
Just stop it.
The Greedy Bill, the No per Dime entitlement and a whole lot more privileges the public know of.
Yet, no increments have they even made a commitment to, to give to those who are in need than anyone of them.
What is not understood with the people, they remain silent; they exhibit timidity and cowardice in face of watching their officials run don’t care rough shod over them every year. And, they say or do nothing. Are there unions in this place? The problem is they are all bought out already, and not by the people.
The country saw a few women months back attempted a sit in somewhere, but for whatever the cause, was it effective?
Yet, that is what people need to be doing. Taking their pains, injustices, sufferings and political leadership abuses to the streets.
The increments issue is a prime example. The people’s bread and butter, but after years of promises, and after years of getting knocked about the people
That is why they continue to walk over the public year in year out, because they know they will bear no consequences and they will be reelected. They know they people can’t afford to take any action against them.
For example, three or more governments, all sorts of self-enriching ills, allotments and more, including the Greedy One. Did they repeal that yet? Pure noise. They had no intention and will not change the purpose of why they ran in the first instance.
That is a tragic reality for the country as, their mandate was never about country or the deelopment of it and its people.
That mandate was about looking out for themselves not the people or country. Most others can do is write on the issues, but they pay them no attention.
$$$ Show WE The Money (Receipts)…..until….
Too much travel that seem to yield little to no benefits is the major concern of the people. The world class travelers are jumping on and off the planes so quickly that we can no longer keep track of them. What a colossal waste if taxpayers money. Where there is no vision, the people will perish.
The Minister just said that the rumour is false and that the actual amount is $100.00 per day. What then is the fuss about? Are we saying that $100.00 per day is too high for Government ministers? Are we to penalise them simply because they are working for the government? Some of us who are managers in the private sector, earns more than $100.00. I can see that most of the commentators here are watchdogs of Parties that lost in the last election. I guess they have been assigned to pull the government ministers down at all cost. This is why there is hardly anything done or proposed by the Ministers that is ever agreed with no matter how good it may be. The flea that is enjoying socking the dog should know that the death of the dog is the death of the flea
HRD does not handle travel imprests lol lmao the Ministry of Finance does. They should call there to verify what the per diem value is. Either Kye lies for absolutely no reason or he’s just ignorant because he doesn’t know.
He and the rest of them were mounted from Fat Albert in the Sinegal green cloth. I don’t expect anything from them. God save the king to come rescue BVI
Frankly 500 a day goes pretty quick travelling and networking in high power circles… this much barely pays hotel and 3 meals…
That’s not for hotel accommodation you knucklehead.
Time for all these world traveling BVI politicians to pay for all their expenses with their own money NOT the peoples money in the BVI Treasury.
Upon their return to the BVI each must submit an itemized list to the Governor who will then decide how much to reimburse each politician for their travel expenses.
It is no wonder, then, that many of these people spend more time joyriding in the sky as a means of supplementing their already overinflated incomes. All this and their trips are of no value to this place as the ‘reports’ of their travels leave much to be desired. In other words, waste of time (and taxpayers’ money).
It is called dignified raping of the treasury.
Another shameful act.
Per diem is only for incidentals. Hotel, transport and food is another bill.
Don’t know what the ray, ray about. I spend more than 500 dollar in travel money or sometimes close to 400.00 just for private company. All those baggage fees, taxis, and Uber from within London ain’t cheap, yea it might be 7£ per trip, more on the train, even if you purchase an Oscar card ,but it add up pretty easy.
Then , there is the meal bill, if you do not eat at the hotel really good oxtail, curry lamb, salmon and grouper fish, even if it’s a one time purchase is over 20£ per dish in London , the outskirts of London perhaps about 15-20 £ per dish and its very small amount.
So , people please talk about the roads and try do something about it, else we encourage tourists to bath in the potholes, since it’s the only way we have rush repairs done.