UPDATE: Anthony S. McMaster expected to act as PS in MC&W
There are reports that Mr. McMaster was not the first choice of the powerful Public Service Commission (PSC) but it appears, according to reliable sources inside the National Democratic Party Administration, that the PSC had changed their minds from a first recommendation when it was conveyed who the Minister Honourable Mark Vanterpool wanted.
Under the constitution, the Minister has a say in who serves as his Permanent Secretary or other senior officers in his Ministry and Departments thereunder. Minister Vanterpool was within his right to express his preference according to a source close to the appointment.
The Human Resources Department has continued to advise this news site that all PSC matters are confidential.
There are two posts for Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works and it remains the biggest and most active Ministry in Government. It also takes the biggest pie of the national budget. The other Deputy Secretary is Gary Penn.
Meanwhile, it is this news site understanding that with the pending departure next month November 2012 of Acting PS Mrs. Arlene Smith-Thompson, Mr. McMaster is tipped to act as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works.
If this happens he will be bypassing two other senior officers to him within the MC&W- Gary Penn and the Ministry’s Project Manager Dr. Drexel Glasgow.
Mrs. Smith-Thompson story on her abrupt departure from the Ministry to pursue study leave was first broken by this news site.
McMaster’s Qualifications
Mr. McMaster, who has been in the service for 11 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 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.
Ministry of Communications and Works in the news recently
The Ministry of Communications and Works has been in the news recently over the controversial cruise ship pier expansion project, which was stopped by the United Kingdom Government in exchange for the project to be placed on Public tender, according to Premier and Minister for Finance Dr. the Honorable D. Orlando Smith.
The Ministry of Communications and Works is also the executing Ministry for the $15.7M Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) loan skillfully negotiated by the former Virgin Islands Party Government of Premier Ralph. T. O’Neal OBE.
Earlier this month, the Ministry’s PS Julian Willock was sacked after information reaching this news site shows that the United Kingdom appointed Governor Boyd McCleary recklessly and illegally interfered with the work of the PSC, which is unconstitutional, in an attempt to get the former esteemed PS out of the service.
The PSC had voted unanimously that Mr. Willock should return to work after being on leave over a tabloid article in the BVI Beacon which accused him of having a person work for one of his group of companies without a work permit. The Labour Department had rejected those politically motivated, malicious and some say racist claims when it told the tabloid, even before they printed the article, that Mr. Willock had all his work permits in order and had violated no laws.
The Ministry of Communications and Works´portfolio includes the BVI Fire and Rescue Services, Public Works and Water and Sewerage departments, Department of Motor Vehicle and Electrical Inspection, Facilities Management, and Telephone Services Management Units. It also oversees three statutory bodies, the BVI Ports Authority, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and the BVI Electricity Corporation.
The Deputy Secretary post is a government job that attracts a salary of $55,772 - $83,436 in grade 16. A PS post salary ranges from $78,043-$107,071 in grade 19.
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105 Responses to “UPDATE: Anthony S. McMaster expected to act as PS in MC&W”
Tony is a light weight and cannot walk in any of their shoes!
A PS should at a minimum have a Masters in Public Administration, Business Administration or in the subject area of the Ministry in question. Pure Jokes going on here.
ps: his wife will vet what ever comes out of the ministry she will soon be a phd!
..................has being working on his ACCA since he was at Cable and Wireless. the government even sen him to English full time to study and he still can't pass.
Anthony this is your former Supervisor wishing you God's richest blessings in your new post and as a matter of fact in all of your endeavours. Expect a call and lots of hugs when I see you. Don't mind the noise put God first and everything else will fall into place. Ask the Lord for wisdom, carry out your duties with integrity, fairness, justice, firmness and a dash of compassion.
From day one I knew you had great potential and by this move it is evident that others share my sentiments. PLEASE, PLEASE, continue to make us all proud and I know your parents are looking down and beaming with pride also.
I see an influx of retired UK civil servants making their way into the service just as they are doing in the Police force. BVI Buckle up, tough times await us in the coming year.
So it is clear that NDP does not value education so that explains the cut back to this area