UPDATE: Dr Sandra M. Besson appointed new Accountant General!
His Excellency the Governor, Mr. William B. McCleary, CMG, CVO, after consultation with the Public Service Commission, has confirmed Dr. Sandra M. Besson to the post of Accountant General for a period of three years, effective October 7, 2013.
Dr. Besson, who is a Virgin Islander, holds a PhD in Accounting and Finance from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom (UK); a master’s in Business Administration from Wright State University in Ohio; and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine, Trinidad.
In addition, Dr. Besson is a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and an associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
In the past, she has served in the capacity of Political Accounts Officer for the Government of the Virgin Islands in London where she conducted research and analysis on the UK and European Union (EU) policies and current events, which impacted the Virgin Islands and other Overseas Territories.
Dr. Besson has served as Deputy Director for Financial Services Institute at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College and has worked with Harney Westwood and Riegels both in London and the Virgin Islands. She was employed with Maritime Life (Caribbean) Limited, Ernest and Young, and Carl Ng Mon in Trinidad.
The Accountant General Dr. Besson will serve as the Government’s Chief Accounting Officer operating under the direction of the Financial Secretary, in accordance with the Public Management Finance Act (2004 and amendments) and the Public Management Finance Regulations (2005).
She is also responsible for the overall administration and activities of the Treasury Department and is expected to provide appropriate accounting arrangements for each of the Departments across Government.
She is also responsible for Government’s accounting standards, systems, policies, procedures, controls and risk approaches to ensure the safeguarding of all public monies and securities.
The Treasury Department aims to continue the development and implementation of accounting systems and standards; improvement of accounting and reporting on all financial transactions of the central Government necessary for policy and decision making; and ensuring prompt issuance of cheque payments to clients on behalf of the Government’s departments.
See previous story posted August 8, 2013:
Sandra Besson tipped to be new Accountant General!
-After 2011 elections, both the Accountant General Kharid Fraser and her Deputy Anna Rabsatt were forced out
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Word reaching Virgin Islands News Online from its sources within the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) Government is that Dr. Sandra Besson has been recommended to take up the post of Accountant General of the Territory.
History of political victimisation under NDP
Following the 2011 elections in which the NDP came to power, they were accused of having a hand in forcing out the former Accountant General Mrs Kharid Fraser, the wife of Third District Representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA.
Mrs Fraser, who was regarded as one of the most professional and competent Accountant Generals, was sent on leave days after the 2011 elections under the claim that she had many vacation days. Once the days were taken, she was reassigned from her Department while the Government of the day, appointed Anna Rabsatt as Acting Accountant General.
In April of this year, the Minister of Finance with responsibility for the Treasury Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith told the House of Assembly that Mrs Fraser had decided to retire.
Dr. Smith also announced the reassignment of the then Acting Accountant General Ms. Anna Rabsatt to the Ministry of Finance, and the appointment of an Anguillan national Ms Kalleesha C. Mendie as Acting Accountant General, displacing two Virgin Islanders. This story was first and accurately reported by this news site.
Ms Mendie was hired by the Ministry of Finance as a Public Finance Consultant to the Treasury Department with a salary of $95,000 a year, including a government vehicle as confirmed to this news site by Financial Secretary Neil M. Smith.
The Minister of Finance, Hon. Smith, claimed that Ms Rabsatt needed to complete further academic and professional studies and it was unclear if she would return to the Treasury.
Dr. Sandra Besson has blessing of FS & Minister
After going through a series of interviews, this news site’s sources close to the process confirmed that Dr. Sandra Besson, who according to her passport was born in the Virgin Islands, has been recommended to the Public Service Commission for the post.
Ms Besson was reportedly among several other candidates who applied for the Accountant General post, including Chad Maduro, Karen Smith-Aaron and Carmen Sully.
According to the NDP source, Dr. Besson already has the blessings of the Financial Secretary and the Minister of Finance Dr. Smith.
Accountant General in waiting qualifications
According to research, Sandra Besson obtained her PhD from The University of Manchester on the topic: “Caribbean Offshore Financial Centres, the International Economy and the Role of Accountants”. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and an elected Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators.
Dr. Besson worked with the firm of Harney Westwood & Riegels for twelve years as an Accountant and Manager. She also was the Political/Accounts Officer of the London Office of the Government of the Virgin Islands during 2007 and 2008.
Before relocating to the VI in the early 1990s, according to information on the H. L Stoutt Community College webpage, she was an Accountant and Internal Auditor with one of the major insurance companies in Trinidad & Tobago and also trained there with the audit firm Ernst & Young.
Dr. Besson was appointed Deputy Director of the Financial Services Institute in March 2011 at the local community college. It is unknown when she will take up her new post of Accountant General of the Virgin Islands.
The Accountant General is a government job with a salary in grade 17 with a range of $62,900-$92,150 per year.
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68 Responses to “UPDATE: Dr Sandra M. Besson appointed new Accountant General!”
Please DR smith. This kinda thing must stop.
Can't you find a local for these positions? You really don't see anything wrong with this?
From the article clearly Ms Besson, has quiet a bit of experience under her belt which qualifies her for the Accountant Gen post.
You people need to learn to give jack or Jane her jacket when it is actually deserving.
When Mendie's salary was published you people kick up about her not being from here, now we actually have a overqualified local who is leaving the private sector coming in to help straighten out the country's affairs you all making all sort of stupid remarks.
She is exactly who the government needs, someone that was not selected based on her last name but have the resume to show that she is more than capable to do the job.
Congrats Ms Besson, please help us get this country out this crisis.
Can someone clarify?
So my question now is; Why would they remove a professional, competent person from their post (non contractual) and put another professional, competent person in the position?
Dumd @$$
A warm welcome home to you, Dr. Besson.
just like every job in the b.v.i where it has qualified people they only give the kiss @$$ them friend and them and who the ndp can get in there pocket for a kick back lot of underhanded things goin on with tha goverment time will tell think you in heaven but you realy in hell.