Why is McMaster still acting as RDA CEO nearly two years on?
Fourth District Representative, Mark Vanterpool has questioned why the Recovery & Development Agency’s (RDA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Anthony McMaster, is still serving in an acting capacity after nearly two years in the job.
Vanterpool suggested that this was in contrast to the previous CEO who was made substantive in the post immediately upon being appointed.
“We appointed the first CEO of the RDA and we appointed him [fully]. But we appointed the second CEO, a BVIslander and we ‘acting appointed’ him,” Vanterpool said yesterday while delivering remarks at the contract signing for the redevelopment of the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) campus in Lower Estate.
“How come we were able to find a man over in Fiji or somewhere, bring him and make him the CEO and we have to make our person here acting?” Vanterpool questioned.
Vanterpool said he made McMaster what he is in his ministry when he served as the Minister of Communication & Works in the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) government.
McMaster, who formerly served as the Permanent Secretary (PS) in that ministry, was appointed as acting RDA CEO in March 2020.
“He was my PS when we moved mountains and we didn’t listen to the Opposition to build the cruise pier,” Vanterpool added.
Take McMaster out of ‘Hollywood’
The legislator further said that under the stewardship of McMaster as PS, the ministry was able to get a lot of work done.
“I want you to get that acting thing off him and let him come from ‘Hollywood’ to Tortola,“ Vanterpool said to Premier Andrew Fahie who was also in attendance.
Premier Fahie also had high praises for the former Permanent Secretary and now CEO, but denied that he had given him the acting title.
In his remarks, Premier Fahie expressed confidence in the work of local contractors, especially when the work was managed by the RDA which is a unit that comes under the Premier’s Office.
“We have seen a large volume of projects, some very ambitious, being completed early or on time with quality work and good budget management and this is happening under the leadership of our very own Anthony McMaster,” Premier Fahie said.
“And for the record, I didn’t give him the acting [title] but I hope to remove it under our stewardship,” the Premier added.
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Leave he where he is
He shouldn’t be there period. You all moved a problem from a Gov Ministry where he was to RDA. Remove the problem all together, move it around.
He wouldn’t have had to have been there if the BVI govrenments over the years shown themselves to be fiscally incomptetent, without any from of accountability. It Examples: hospital, Pier Park, both completed late and significantly over budget.
Time to fix this
Most qualified, getting to job done. A rare thing in the Wee Wee Eye
The Virgin Islands is an extension of Hollywood. A lot of actors and actresses
I wonder what he would say about the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force(RVIPF) they have the most actors and actresses, people acting so long that they start to act strange.
I agree with MV. We need to stop this foolishness wth putting people to act. Either they qualified or not. They get through the probation period and then permanent. Simple. The rest of the world laughs at us with this crap!
And we only do it to our own people. Never to any expats who we bring in to work. Expats get their full package from day 1 and get their full buyout when they leave. But we marginalize and fight against our own people over and over.
BVI Love for everybody except BVI Islanders
Stupes! there are people working for government for well over 10 years and they are not yet permanent and pensionable. Also, other people were made to act for rolling of years, why the rush to appoint someone who has acted for a few months?
Because it is wrong! Not because it happened before or to other people means it is ok and should continue. Nobody should be acting period!
Them so made a lot of people act for years until some of them retired. Let him see how it feels.
This mentality is why the COI is here. None better than none. Just want to keep in doing the same BS. Nobody willing to say enough is enough.
This is exactly why we need y’all old hags with this mentality out of service. Can’t get anywhere with this crab in a bucket thinking. SMFH
2 years thats miner , its have person’s been Ag for years now ,a known this gentleman who has been ag for over 15 yrs, but he’s a very humble person and does his job well even been place in manager position on a number of times