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UPDATE: Fraser & Rabsatt Out! Expat Kalleesha C. Mendie in as Acc. Gen!
This was already reported by this news site and it remains unclear how the transition was made for Ms Kalleesha C. Mendie, an Anguillan national, into the civil service. Ms Mendie was hired last year by Financial Secretary Neil M. Smith as a Public Finance Consultant to the Treasury Department with a salary of $95,000 a year, including a government vehicle.
Kharid Fraser-Accountant General to retire
Premier Smith in his statement to the House of Assembly on April 4, 2013 also announced that Accountant General Mrs Kharid Fraser had decided to retire from the Civil Service. It remains unclear if she was forced out.
Following the 2011 general elections that brought the Dr. Smith-led National Democratic Party government to power, Mrs Fraser was removed from her post without reason, a move many labeled as political victimisation.
Ms Anna Rabsatt was then named Acting Accountant General. This news site reported last month that Ms Rabsatt was sent home under the Government programme of ‘take your vacation days or lose it’.
The staff at the Treasury Department was told that the officer was expected back from vacation leave by April 15, 2013. However, today the Minister of Finance announced that “Ms. Rabsatt has been reassigned to the Ministry of Finance and has yet to decide whether she wishes to return to the Treasury Department at the end of the exercise after she completes further academic and professional studies…”
The Minister of Finance Dr. Smith, also in his statement, told the public that “the Treasury Department is going through its transformation process, and the roll of the Accountant General will be redefined…”
The Premier and Minister of Finance’s statement was relating to the laying on the table of a Treasury Forensic Examination Report. This is the first time in the Virgin Islands recent history that an expat has held the post of Accountant General.
See previous article posted on March 28, 2013
Another Local Anna Rabsatt Out! Anguillan In! as Acting Accountant General
-Acting Deputy Accountant General Laurel Smith, another local, snubbed while Ms. Rabsatt is on vacation leave
In yet another stunning move that continues to see the displacement of Virgin Islanders, an Anguillan consultant assigned to the Treasury Department Kalleesha C. Mendie is now the new Acting Accountant General of the Virgin Islands.
This news site’s sources inside the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) Government has confirmed this. While the information is still unfolding, it’s this news site’s understanding that Acting Accountant General Anna Rabsatt was asked to take vacation leave under the government’s programme of ‘take it or lose it’, as the officer reportedly had many vacation days.
According to the same sources, Ms Rabsatt is expected to be back by April 15, 2013. However, what has shocked most civil servants is that an expat who was hired by Financial Secretary (FS) Neil M. Smith last year as a Public Finance Consultant to the Treasury Department has been approved as the Acting Accountant General.
Her appointment, endorsed by the FS, was also approved by the powerful Public Service Commission a few weeks ago. The new Acting Accountant General Mrs Mendie could not be reached for comments.
There is a local, Ms. Laurel Smith, who is also the Acting Deputy Accountant General and the Management Accountant of the Treasury Department but she has not been appointed or put forward to Act while Ms. Rabsatt took her vacation leave. Reasons for such a decision remain unclear.
When reached by this news site, Financial Secretary Neil M. Smith said he had no comments. Calls were not returned from the Human Resources Department and the Director of Communications Arliene T. Penn was said to be on vacation.
A few weeks ago this news site accurately reported that another indigenous Virgin Islander Jenifer C. O’Neal, who worked at the Ministry of Finance, was forced out when her contract was not renewed or was not hired within the service. She remains unemployed and could have done the job of the same Anguillan consultant Kalleesha C. Mendie, the now Acting Accountant General.
Mrs Mendie is being paid $95,000 a year as a consultant and it remains unclear how the transition was made from an expat consultant to being hired in the civil service.
Calls by this news site to the Deputy Financial Secretary, Wendell M. Gaskin CFE, were not returned.
Political victimization?
Following the 2011 General Elections that resulted in the NDP coming to power, the Accountant General Mrs Kharid Fraser was removed from her post without reason, a move many labeled as political victimisation.
Ms Anna Rabsatt was then named Acting Accountant General.
It is unclear when or if Mrs Fraser, the wife of the popular Third District Representative and Opposition Member Honourable Julian Fraser RA, will return to her substantive post at the Treasury.
Locals displaced since 2011 elections; Governor is AWOL!
There remains a long laundry list of indigenous Virgin Islanders who were either fired, contract not renewed, transferred, promotions blocked, reassigned, or were asked to take their vacation (government policy is take it or lose it, but it applies to some) or forced to retire.
Many have agreed that the majority of the situation had the expressed directive of Ministers of Government although they often claimed to have nothing to do with the public sector, which is certainly not the case.
The big question many civil servants continue to ask is; where is the United Kingdom (UK) appointed Governor William B. McCleary who is the head of the civil service?
Many believe Governor McCleary has become useless to the cause of the civil servants as he himself is a controversial figure. He has been blasted by many for his alleged violation of the Virgin Islands Constitution, not practicing good governance or upholding the rule of law.
The UK appointed governor has been distracted with public officers taking him to court for alleged violation of their rights, unfair dismissals and siding with Ag. Commissioner of Police David Morris on many new contentious practices as it relates to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.
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138 Responses to “UPDATE: Fraser & Rabsatt Out! Expat Kalleesha C. Mendie in as Acc. Gen!”
The PSC full ah $h1t..how could they approved something like tis?
bull #$%%t on that. It`s always some excuse to keep down the local. Mother hen, you best stick to laying eggs.
Then why would you increase the size of the bait?
Imagine A...... work so hard to get kharid out and it backfire on her!
Maybe everyone needs to stop playing the blame game... I've seen people protest in many ways over Jobs for locals, or write up big articles in the newspaper. Is that helping? NOPE... is complaining helping? NOPE... Instead of wasting your time standing in front the governor house marching or just wasting your time complaining about the NDP and waiting for the next elections it’s time to engage in massive civil diso....
Somebody must be held accountable for how NS is running the MF!!!
They have lost it completely AND dOC CANNOT CONTROL HIS MINSITRY OF FINANCE
We need a TRUTH COMMISSION to expose the lies of the political class and their brethren "academic" and otherwise. I maintain that until the politicians are FORCED on pain of imprisonment to come clean and confess their deceptions and misdealing then their tribe of activists will never acknowledge truth and we can never start to successfully rebuild this great little nation call the Virgin Islands.
They have made the civil servant a political organ. It’s not too late NDP to see where you went wrong and then to correct it as the case may be.
The government pushed through an amendment to Caymanian immigration legislation this week that will allow Cabinet to designate certain positions, jobs, types of work or business areas as being solely for Caymanians.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who has responsibility for immigration, said the provision was very flexible and allowed for exceptional circumstances where the chief immigration officer or the boards could still grant temporary work permits in certain reserve occupations. It also provided for a transitional period so that staff currently on permits in what could become reserve jobs, once they are selected, would not just be fired.
It also allows anyone who already has key employee to stay in the post, even if their job joins the list of Caymanian-only posts that will be decided by the next Cabinet. The decision would not remain behind closed doors, Manderson said, but would have to be ratified by the Legislative Assembly.
Although no type of work has been designated in the law, Manderson pointed to potential examples such as concierge posts in hotels, as Caymanians are an obvious and ideal choice to tell visitors about Cayman, as well as Human Resource positions. Anticipating objections, he said the boards do follow the law. He said 4,352 permits had been refused over the last two years, 672 of which were declined because there were Caymanians to fill the jobs.
Finally a government that care about its people just wait until next election with the NDP if you white you right, if you brown stick around if you black stand back foolish government it is crystal clear
What a ting to tell the king!
You have been weighed, you have been measured, you have been found wanting.... bobo
Good Bye
Why is the BVI so different? Look out for your people Government, leaders top managers!! We have NO WHERE ELSE TO GO!!!!!
Lord hear our cry and deliver us.