RETIRING ALLOWANCES ACT 2021 “THE HEIGHT OF POLITICAL WICKEDNESS” – NEEDS TO BE PARTIALLY REPEALED

Sixth District candidate Myron Walwyn says that the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Service) (Amendment) Act, 2021 needs to be partially repealed as he pointed to a number concerns relating to the Act.

Walwyn at the time was addressing the public at the National Democratic Party’s launch of political candidates for the upcoming general election.

He labelled parts of the Act as the “height of political wickedness”, stating that the law was passed under the Virgin Islands Party government during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to benefit the elected officials at the expense of the tax paying residents.

The former education minister also highlighted specific areas of the Act, stating that elected officials who retire at the age of 50 years or older after serving three terms in office, stand to benefit from gratuity of more than $250,000 immediately after retirement.  

According to Walwyn’s calculation, a 3-term legislator would receive in excess of half a million dollars in cash at the end of three years of retirement, in addition to other substantial monetary benefits.

He questioned the government’s decision to make such a move that solely benefits themselves while other sections of the community struggle to make a living in the territory.

The Act was passed in one sitting of the House of Assembly in May 2021 after legislators suspended their usual rules to expedite the passing of the bill.

The then Premier at the time Andrew Fahie argued that amendments to the bill were needed following concerns that were raised by retired legislators who had complained about “anomalies” with how their retirement packages were tabulated.