The government is moving ahead with its promise to amend a controversial 2021 law that allows legislators to get paid up to four years’ salary after leaving office.
An amendment to the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Service) (Amendment) Act 2021 — publicly nicknamed the “Greedy Bill” — was introduced by Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley during a House of Assembly
meeting last Thursday along with two other bills.
The 2021 law drew heavy criticism on the campaign trail earlier this year, and legislators — including the premier and now-Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton — promised to amend or repeal it if elected to office.
No explanation or further details were provided during last Thursday’s HOA meeting, and the proposed amendment hadn’t been published as of Beacon press time yesterday afternoon.
But Dr. Wheatley provided a brief update during a Friday statement broadcast on Facebook.
“I’m pleased to report to you that in line with the commitments made during the general election campaign, the amendment … had its first reading,” he said. “The bill repeals the offending sections of the act. At a subsequent sitting of the House, the bill will be debated and passed.”
2021 law
The 2021 law stipulates that lawmakers who serve one or two full terms in the HOA are to be paid two years’ salary upon leaving office; those who serve three or four full consecutive terms are to get three years’ salary; and those who serve five or more terms are to receive four years’ salary.
The act defines “salary” as the maximum amount they were paid while serving, including all allowances and emoluments.
The new post-term salary payment came in addition to a retirement allowance already provided for life to any former legislator age 50 and over who has served at least five years.
Under the original 1980 law, that monthly allowance is calculated as two-thirds of the maximum monthly salary paid to them while they served.
Meetings
The premier also introduced two other bills during the HOA the meeting last Thursday: the Merchant Shipping Amendment Act 2023 and the Virgin Islands Shipping and Maritime Authority Amendment Act 2023.
He didn’t explain either bill, and neither had been published as of Beacon press time.
Though legislators were able to introduce all the bills scheduled for the HOA meeting, they didn’t debate them.
Government ministers also delivered statements, but they didn’t reach the question-and-answer portion of the agenda or a motion to appoint Sheldon Scatliffe as the new chairman of the BVI Electricity Corporation for a period of three years with effect from Tuesday of this week.
The meeting recessed late Thursday, and it is scheduled to resume tomorrow.
Ministers’ statements
The first of the legislators’ statements last Thursday was an update from Dr. Wheatley on international affairs, which touched on meetings he attended recently and plans to attend in the coming weeks.
“Since assuming office, my administration has been active in advancing the interests of the Virgin Islands at both regional and international levels,” he said.
In early May, the premier attended the coronation of King Charles III in the United Kingdom, and then he led a delegation to the Joint Ministerial Council. In June, he travelled to the United Nations headquarters in New York and appeared before the special committee on decolonisation, also known as the C24.
“I did place on the record my administration’s objection to the UK continuing to maintain an order in council in reserve that can immediately suspend the Constitution,” he said. “It is not necessary.”
Here in the VI, he added, his government welcomed a UN delegation from June 13-15 to participate in a sustainable development forum.
That session resulted in the identification of several initiatives for which the UN will provide technical support, including migration and immigration policy; revision of the territory’s youth policy; development of a student food programme; digitisation; development of a national pension plan; and more.
The premier also recently attended the 73rd Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Authority meeting and the annual Caribbean Development Bank’s Heads of Government Meeting.
This week, he is in Trinidad and Tobago attending the 45th regular meeting of the conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. This year marks Caricom’s 50th anniversary.