White Expat in! Locals shut out for TRC post!
One will not expect this type of situation to also be found in the public sector where the Government of the day will have a better chance of influencing the outcome to ensure that qualified Virgin Islanders are preferred to be hired in their chosen field.
But it seems that at least in one statutory body the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) qualified locals are shut out for the post of Chief Economist and a contract worker and UK national Ms. Sarah Hayes rules.
There is no question that there are qualified Virgin Islanders who can fill this post from local economists working in Government’s Development Planning Unit, as well as throughout other government Departments and Agencies and in the private sector.
There are also a few local economists who have retired and could have been brought back if even on a temporary basis.
While it’s understood that the Telecommunications regulatory regime in the Virgin Islands is new, it still does not justify keeping qualified locals shut out of this post as they will and can evolve and grow with the industry.
4 contracts at $100G plus benefits - Sarah Hayes
Despite the fact that many locals can fill the post of Chief Economist Ms. Sarah Hayes is now on her third consecutive contract renewal with the TRC claiming that someone is understudying her after almost 5 years on the job.
She earns over one hundred thousand dollars a year plus benefits being employed at the TRC.
One of the locals understudying Ms. Hayes for about two years a Joseph Mathieu ‘Mattie’ Rosan was forced out after Ms Hayes wrote unflattering reports on his performance according to sources at the TRC close to the situation. It is now reported that the daughter of a prominent local Attorney is now the second understudy and it remains unclear when she will be able to assume the post, or if her fate will be the same as the other local.
Guy L. Malone justifies her stay!
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TRC Mr. Guy L. Malone - who himself had to struggle to be given a chance to head the regulatory agency - when asked by this news site about why this situation still exist when there are locals who could do the job, said “it is because of her familiarity with a number of pending regulatory and legal issues that started under her watch”.
Mr. Malone the first local to head the TRC when pressed about why in this hard economic time are qualified locals not given the first preference in their own country, told our news room that, “…the TRC has taken all those things into consideration and I can assure you that we are looking forward in the future to [hiring a local person]. We understand and we know that there is a limit to extend contracts, but under these circumstances even if there is a limit and she had gone we would have still had to solicit her because she was the one that was solely involved…” he said.
The CEO confirmed that Ms. Hayes “started with a two year contract and has had three renewals of one year each”.
Mr. Malone said that four years ago the whole issue of the complaint CCT made about anti-competitive behaviour commenced. “That’s why she was hired solely on that issue,” he claimed, noting that over the period other issues came up requiring Ms Hayes’ expertise.
“We are looking at advertising later in this year to employ somebody while she is there, before her contract is up, so that we can start the transition,” Mr. Malone said speaking exclusively with Virgin Islands News Online.
Meanwhile, Chairwoman of the TRC Board of Directors Attorney and Author Ms. Ayana S. Hull when contacted by this news site for a comment on the matter did not provide any, but referred us to the CEO Mr. Malone.
A senior civil servant who normally speaks to this news site on condition of anonymity when told what the CEO said labeled it as “ridiculous.”
“You have to listen carefully to what Guy is saying… it means that Ms. Hayes is not teaching her understudies anything if they are saying only she is familiar with the issues…but this is the normal around here and I bet once she leaves she will be brought back as a consultant on the same issues she hid from us!” the senior civil servant of 30 years said.
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102 Responses to “White Expat in! Locals shut out for TRC post! ”
I am so sick if this s..t!!!
p.tty a.n at finace can do this job and i know they will not pay her this amount of money
Why dem always blaming willock for stories on vino and they do not blame r....ll for stories in the b.. b...on
Just fire everyone in the BVI and then hire the persons who votes for VIP!
SMH
Lets get rid of these experienced overseas people who could help our country develop and give it to kids that know what to do with Greenhouses, Hospitals, water, old peoples homes, roads (wtf) ferries, buildings maintenance, the saving of the environment with sharks etc.,
This is not the problem. Thinking that anyone can do anything just because they are born in the BVI is the problem.
It really is no problem to have everything done here by people that only know here but sometimes there are ways where people recocgnize experience for what it is and what it can bring to benefit all and not just a greedy few
Hasn't M...ie been in trouble with the law? Would you really want someone like that working there?
If you need a Masters degree to get a job, GO STUDY FOR IT - if you need ten years global experience - GO GET IT. STop your btching and grumbling and make your success happen instead of bad mouthing someone who has worked hard and deserves her success.
But Guy is Tolan and he is the boss. And big boss she is Tolan. And TRC board is Tolan. And Minister in charge is Tolan. And Premier is Tolan. Look at that long line of Tolan boss!
So if the white expat is not the best choice for the job then look at all those Tolans making such bad decisions!!!! Why would all them boss Tolans hire the expat if there was a better qualified Tolan to take the job???? Makes no sense! The logic answer is that all those boss Tolans are just doin their jobs and working for BVI and making the best choices about who to hire best qualified for the job!!! The problem aint them - its the finger pointing know nothin gripers!!!
where is your honor and respect?