Anthony S. McMaster confirmed as Communications & Works PS
Mr McMaster, who also served as the Deputy Secretary within the same Ministry and had acted for one year as Permanent Secretary, saw the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool announce his appointment to the post at the February 12, 2015 House of Assembly meeting.
A first generation Virgin Islander, Mr McMaster, who lives in Pockwood Pond on the main island of Tortola, will now be the Chief Advisor to the Minister on all policy matters.
McMaster’s Qualifications
Mr McMaster, who has been in the public service for 13 years, holds a Diploma in Accounting and is currently working on the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)- the British version of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
He spent most of his years in the service in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, first as a Finance Officer and was promoted to the Finance and Planning Officer’s post.
Instability in MC&W
Before Mr McMaster’s confirmation in January of 2015 the last confirmed Permanent Secretary was Mr Willock, who was confirmed as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works (MC&W) in 2010.
Prior to that, the Ministry had seen a series of Acting Permanent Secretaries- from John Samuel before Willock to Gary Penn and Arliene Smith-Thompson after Willock, who was illegally fired from his post according to a High Court Judge after Mr Willock successfully sued the Government.
Willock illegally fired
Mr Willock, who was regarded as a very effective and efficient public officer, was sent on leave in 2010 after local tabloid the BVI Beacon claimed that he had a person working for one of his group of companies without a work permit. The Labour Department debunked that false claim and the Public Service Commission had voted unanimously for Mr Willock to return to his post.
Meanwhile, Mr McMaster when reached by our news room confirmed his confirmation to the PS post and said “my focus now is on doing the work within the Ministry.”
A Permanent Secretary post is a government job with a salary range from $78,043-$107,071 in grade 19.
See our previous story on this issue here:
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55 Responses to “Anthony S. McMaster confirmed as Communications & Works PS”
McMaster is a nice guy but this is ridiculous. I am actually embarrassed that our standards are set so low. The world is laughing at us. How can we move forward and take our place on the world stage if we do not put qualified persons in key positions who are not simply political puppets; who can't think for themselves.
My goodness, this guy does not even have a Bachelor's Degree. Come on!!! There are seasoned Public Servants who have been in the service for far longer and have more experience and academic credentials who will never come close to obtaining such a position nor making that salary. We wonder why the public service is so demotivated and why we are not moving forward as a country. We also have qualified persons acting in thier post forever and this young man confirmed in this position.
You still working on ACCA boy?
Talk about double standards and politics. Mr. McMaster only got this job because he is an NDP…
But we will wet our finger and waiting for them next elections
BVI people ayo fool fool
All of us have roots traced to other Caribbean islands not to mention so many of you quick to have your children born in the USA.
Give it a rest with this hypocrisy!!