BVI premier under fire for more than $20M budget shortfall, probe urged

TORTOLA — BVI Premier Natalio Wheatley has come under fire from an Opposition member after he revealed a budget shortfall of millions of dollars that would have gone to fund raises for public employees.

As a result, new hires and non-essential travel will be restricted as the government attempts to find ways to raise the necessary revenue. Wheatley, during a sitting of the House of Assembly on Friday, revealed there was a “very wide variance” in budget calculations for public sector salaries. As a result of the discovery, the premier, who also serves as Finance minister, said he asked the office of Gov. Daniel Pruce, which oversees the public service sector, to launch an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the budget deficit.

According to Wheatley, a “major appropriation of resources” was made in this year’s budget to implement a new salary structure, and the House of Assembly approved a budget of $11.7 million for the purpose. During comments on the House floor, which was carried via live broadcast to the public, Wheatley said the actual salary increase was significantly higher than the $11.7 million budget, and the actual figure was upwards of $25 million.