(PLTM) - Diverting resources that could have been allocated to alleviate some of the pressing matters to the retirement package for legislators is one that should offend the national conscience of every single person in the country.
This is the view expressed by Myron Walwyn, the National Democratic Party (NDP) Sixth District candidate as he spoke to the retirement package law passed by the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration.
“Incoming Premier [Marlon] Penn, Act #15 of 2021 entitled ‘Retiring Allowances Legislative Services Amendment Act’ needs to be partially repealed upon a new NDP Government," Walwyn stated at the party's campaign launch on Saturday, March 18.
Stating that he has no problems with the first part of the Act which provides for the pension of a legislator to be calculated under a full annual package, the former Minister of Education stated that the second part of the Act is the height of political wickedness and greed.
“If a legislator has served three terms in the House of Assembly, they will receive a gratuity in the amount of about $250,00 to $300,000 immediately upon retirement if they are 50 years or older,” Walwyn stated.
He said in addition to this, a three-term legislator will receive his or her current salary every single month for the next three years just as if they were working.
“After those three years of receiving a salary for doing absolutely nothing he or she will receive half of their current salary for the rest of their life. So, a three-term legislator would receive in excess of 600,000 in cash by the end of three years after retiring and half of his or her monthly salary until death,” Walwyn pointed out.
He added, “This was done by the current government in the middle of the pandemic in 2021.”
According to Walwyn, the people of the country for a minimum of two years will be paying the salaries for two governments at the same time – one that is working and one that is not working.
“How could a government do this to the people many of whom in their own district struggle every single day to make a living for themselves and their children?” Walwyn questioned.
He noted that civil servants have to work for 33 1/3 years to collect ‘a meagre pension’ that has no consideration for the continuous rise of the cost of living.
“…But somebody who happen to win a popularity contest for couple of years could go home with a pocket full of money, that cannot be right. To sit down and pass legislation to benefit yourself is deceitful and immoral while we have so many social ills left unattended in this country,” Walwyn stated.
-----
Copyright 2023 by Virgin Islands Platinum News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
If the amendment wasn’t to your liking and was attached to the bill in its entirety, then you had a moral responsibility to reject it by voting against it. However, you voted yes for it as is evidenced by the HOA documents that was “bundled” and distributed to the public.
These politicians ain’t loyal, set ah political garden tools.
- New High School buildings and facility to take our teachers and children out of that moldy building they were put in by the NDP for a ridiculous amount of money monthly paid to the…. partner where that contract was never audited.
- Electric shuttle bus ride service around town free to all who use it. I use it all the time and love it.
- New Road Town Market Square.
- National Sustainable development plan projecting the way forward for the BVI for the next 20 years which shows progressive and innovative thinking. This was assisted by the UN.
- Thousands of persons received their belonger status after being bluffed by NDP for years.
- Direct flights to USA(Miami) and back starting soon.
- Revived the Cruise industry after Covid
- Salary review for all public officers ongoing
- Paid some of the many increments due to public officers long before VIP took office.
- Repaired the BFEC school building on VG
- Repaired 3 Administration buildings on VG from the damage from Irma. One in North Sound and two in the Valley.
- Fixed the resivor in North Sound, VG and the water woes.
- Repaired the Administration building in JVD from the damage from Irma and named it.
- Fixed the Lee Road in Virgin Gorda
- Constructed new port dock, building and other facilities on JVD.
- Paved Dog Hole road on JVD.
- Constructed and paved new and existing roads on JVD.
- Address JVD water issues.
- Paved and Repaired new and existing roads on Anegada.
- Repaired CCEC school structure on Anegada
- Repaired basketball court and sport facility on Anegada
- Repaired Fire station building on Anegada.
- Repaired community center building on Anegda.
- Repaired Administration building on Anegada.
- Repaired many community centers on Tortola including Sea Cow's Bay, Brewer's Bay, West End and others.
- Constructed new modern lab at the hospital in Road Town.
- Completed and opened Hospital in VG.
- Passed many good governance legislation
- Governed during the most difficult time in the BVI and world during covid coupled with dealing with all the damages left unattended to by the NDP Government after Iram and Maria.
- Did an excellent job in keeping a high majority of us safe and alive during the worse of covid and prevented the economy from tanking out with some of the same grants they are now being crucified for now by others who want the public to think the good they did to help is really bad.
- Repaired many of the roads and infrastructure on Tortola and the other sister islands from the damages from Irma and Maria.
- Restarted the scholarship abroad programme that was stop after Irma where 50 or more BVI people are now receiving government scholarships yearly to study abroad.
- Teacher Associate & Bachelors programme at HLSCC and UWI to ensure teachers are trained and qualified.
- Gained accreditation of hospital.
- Assistance in funding Masters and above programmes.
- Major duty tax break for all during covid to pass on to consumers to try to assist in lowering the cost of living which is rising worldwide.
- Unemployment benefits during COVID where no one in the private industry could work during to the lock down.
- Transportation programme to assist taxi industry during covid lock down.
- Amended customs act to allow for many entrepreneurs in the marine industry during covid.
- Started Marine course and certification at HLSCC to create more opportunities in the marine industry through jobs and entrepreneurs by training and qualifying persons interested from BVI.
- Retrained and retool persons in the Hospitality industry during covid to prepare them for new opportunities.
- Started certification programme in the area of alternative energy at HLSCC.
- Gained accreditation of HLSCC.
- Continued subsidy for ferry transportation to and from Anegada for Anegadians.
- Repairing the Administration building in Tortola that was damaged after Irma and never attended to by the NDP.
- Tax break on stamp duty for all belongers purchasing land and property during the covid era.
- Saved many businesses, persons and university students from demise through the same grants they are now being crucified for by the well planned attack.
- Constructed, Repaired and paved many new and existing roads on Tortola.
- Repaired the Ivan Dawson school and many other school facilities on Tortola.
- Commenced construction of the long awaited and promised new school facility on Jost Van Dyke.
- Made sure everyone was fed during all the lock downs with covid with food vouchers and home deliveries among other means.
- kept us informed and safe as much as was possible during the early bad days of covid where no government in the world knew what to do as there was no playbook for this worse pandemic in the last 100 years.
- Made sure all district representatives received the same amount of funds whether in government or opposition to try to help we the people during the worse of covid.
- The first government in years to pass all budgets on time and balanced each budget each of the four years in office.
- Passed all financial ratings regionally and abroad.
- Funded many senior citizens programmes to take care of our seniors.
- Restarted the Alternative Education programme so persons who did not finish school can attend and get their high school diploma.
- Repaired the multipurpose complex and a/c after major damages due to Irma.
- Repaired the police stations and marine bases after damages from Irma.
- Assisted in the opening of Banco Popular on VG so there can be banking on VG again.
- Passed consumer protection legislation.
Will stop there for now as the list is extensive. The VIP good far outweighs their negative and that is why the ongoing devious plots are intensifying to try to get in people's mind otherwise to try to influence the elections and try to get VIP out to turn it over to the rich and famous but who GOD BLESS no man can curse.
As the matter of fact do you think he will give the profits he made catering to the HOA while he was in office to another catering company that is struggling?
If you want to sound all hallelujah cómbaya my lord, don’t wait for election to do it.
We know where your heart really is Wally.