Past and present legislators who stand to benefit from the current Retiring Allowances Act 2021 will still qualify to benefit even if the legislation is completely repealed.
Chairman of the Progressives United party Hon. Julian Fraser let it be known that while the respective leaders of the political parties are talking about repealing what has been termed as the “Greedy Bill”, legislation that has become law cannot simply be reversed, even if completely repealed.
Fraser at the time of the statement was speaking during a debate held at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College for political party leaders in the BVI.
Also confirming Fraser’s position was the Chairman of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) party Ronnie Skelton, who said if elected, his government will repeal the bill and set a “sensible” salary for the beneficiaries.
Premier Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley also shared his views on the bill, stating that it was a mistake on his end to vote in favour of the amendments.
He said not only will he repeal the entire bill if reelected, but he also vowed not to collect any of the monies from the second section of the bill in its current form.
In addition, Dr. Wheatley called for an independent body to be the appropriate medium to best determine suitable salary packages for current and retired legislators.
Also providing input on the legislation was the Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Hon. Marlon Penn.
He said the overall social safety net for persons in the territory needs to be reviewed, as he referenced a recent conversation he had with a senior citizen.