Skelton predicts lawsuits for some BVI board members

Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton has said he believes some members of statutory boards will pick up lawsuits for neglecting their responsibilities.

Skelton made the argument in the House of Assembly on July 7 as he expressed confidence in Sheldon Scatliffe’s ability to lead the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) as board chairman.

Skelton said Scatliffe possesses all that it takes to responsibly serve as a member of a government statutory body, unlike many others who sit on various boards within the community.

“Like I said, I rise to give my full support to Sheldon. He’s trained, he understands the fiduciary responsibilities that members of a board must live by. And we need, as we develop, our boards and charters. I have no doubt that some time in the near future, some of these board members will be sued for not fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities,” Skelton said.

He did not give examples of public boards with members who are not fulfilling their duties. However, it is quite common for the public to complain about the direction of statutory organisations such as the BVIEC, the Social Security Board, the BVI Ports Authority, and others.

Many believe the leaders of these boards don’t do much to improve people’s lives and don’t fulfil the mandates they’ve been given.

Though they are established by the government, statutory organisations are responsible for implementing their own systems to deliver the services under their mandate.

That’s where the board members come in — they are responsible for providing strategic direction to ensure statutory organisations remain financially viable while delivering quality services to members of the community.