Lettsome Pledges Action On Lawmaker Pensions
Territorial At-Large candidate Levor Lettsome has vowed to challenge controversial legislative pension perks if elected to the House of Assembly. Lettsome criticised the disparity between lawmakers accessing benefits at age 50 while regular residents must wait until 65.
Territorial At-Large candidate Levor Lettsome has pledged to confront the controversial legislation governing retirement perks for legislators if he is elected to the House of Assembly. Lettsome, who serves as chairman of the Virgin Islands Innovative Association (VIIA), voiced strong criticism over provisions that allow lawmakers to access retirement pensions at age 50 and receive ongoing payments after leaving office.
In contrast, regular Virgin Islands residents must wait until age 65 to collect their retirement benefits. The contentious law, officially titled the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Service) (Amendment) Act, 2021, drew intense public outcry upon its passage and was widely dubbed the 'greedy bill' across the territory.
While Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley pledged to repeal the legislation ahead of the 2023 general election, subsequent amendments passed by the House of Assembly in 2023 left aspects of the retirement framework in place. Speaking on the Talking Points radio programme, Lettsome raised the pension issue while declaring his support for introducing recall legislation, which would give voters the power to remove elected representatives from office before the end of their terms.
Lettsome pointed out the stark inequality in the territory's retirement system, arguing that lawmakers should not receive preferential treatment at the expense of everyday citizens. He noted that while standard workers face possible extensions to the retirement age, elected officials enjoy early pensions and post-office compensation.
Addressing how he would repeal the provisions if elected, Lettsome acknowledged that the VIIA had consulted with legal counsel, who warned that reversing the entitlements could prove legally challenging. Despite the hurdles, he maintained that transitional payouts for former lawmakers must end, asserting that either benefits should be standardised or ordinary citizens should be granted the same early retirement threshold of age 50.
Lettsome also scrutinised the management of the territory's Social Security funds, calling on the government to protect contributors' money and ensure that public reserves primarily benefit the people of the Virgin Islands.
Primary source: BVI News