By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
IN the wake of Financial Services Minister Ryan Pinder’s resignation, Prime Minister Perry Christie admitted yesterday that salaries of politicians “is a real challenge” for Bahamian professionals wishing to enter the field.
Mr Pinder’s resignation will become effective at the end of this month.
He will then become a senior executive at Deltec Bank, receiving what he called “once in a lifetime” benefits.
The move, he said, is in the best interest of his family.
Reacting to the news outside the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Christie said while several factors may have played a role in Mr Pinder’s decision to resign from Cabinet, the issue of salary in politics is pertinent.
Mr Christie also told reporters that he has not chosen Mr Pinder’s successor, adding that there is currently no front-runner for the post.
“We are involved in a process of finalising Mr Pinder’s position and I’m in the process of reviewing my team to see, so to speak, who would ascend to that position or laterally move to that position and if someone does that, who takes that position,” he said.
Cabinet ministers currently take home $66,000 annually while state ministers receive $60,000. Members of parliament make $28,000 per year.
Earlier this year, a parliamentary select committee recommended a salary and benefits review of parliamentarians, especially as it relates to constituency allowances.
“I think it is important for you to determine the extent to which (Mr Pinder) is motivated by the salary considerations because it might not be a fair conclusion to make because he does come from a family of means, not just his father, but his wider family is well off as well, so I’m sure there were other considerations,” Mr Christie said. “But with respect to the salaries, it is a real challenge in the Bahamas for many professionals. There are any number of people who agree to come into politics on the basis that they are going to give a limited time of service because if you have a young family and you are the chief breadwinner, there is an acute need to always be aware of the fact that as your family grows and becomes older there’s a greater responsibility to find the necessary money to give them a life of comfort and so there are so many considerations in politics.
“Just think about what I had to endure over these 40 years and you would know you don’t find that many people doing that, so it is what it is right now,” Mr Christie said.
Mr Christie also dismissed statements of FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis who said that Mr Pinder’s resignation is the consequence of his dissatisfaction with the government.
“Ryan Pinder resigned because of that?” Mr Christie asked. “Dr Minnis has great difficulty and I think he makes it worse for himself when he makes these injudicious statements that would easily be refuted by Ryan Pinder himself. Ryan Pinder is a believer. Ryan Pinder has made a decision not to leave the PLP, to assiduously promote the PLP, which he will, right in the House of Assembly so what does Dr Minnis look like when Ryan Pinder gets up and says you’re talking nonsense? All it does, it says again, that with Mr Minnis, there is a need for him to grow and mature as a leader, to understand the full workings of our democracy and to know that these things happen.
“When someone is giving an extraordinary, mind blowing offer in an economy like this and they’re young and they have kids, no matter how wealthy they are that offer is not just dollar and cents, it’s a prominent position in a banking order that will enable you to become one of the power brokers on a global basis. That’s what Ryan Pinder is looking forward to, being a huge player in financial services in the world. Those are opportunities where you may say ‘Well, maybe he shouldn’t have done it because of service and service commitment and what not.’ I understand and in fairness to him he came to me some time ago and we discussed this. He discussed it with the deputy prime minister as well. We discussed it together and I said to him, give me time to think about it. I will give you the benefit of my advice and I said to him, come go to Cuba with me and show me all the things you were doing in trade so I have an understanding while meeting with Caribbean leaders. We’ve had that opportunity and I’m able to come back to the Bahamas, say to my Cabinet that Mr Pinder has given me an indication that he is resigning. That’s the process that took place.”
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 4 months ago
Pinder is unable to do anymore for his new employer (Deltec/Atlas) than he has done for the financial services sector of the Bahamas.....which most agree is not very much at all! The Bahamas had a larger, more vibrant and optimistic financial services sector prior to Pinder being appointed Minister of Financial Services with primary responsibility for implementing policies to grow that vital sector of our economy. He failed miserably in his mission as evidence by the significant contraction in the financial services sector under his watch. In knowing this, he obviously had little choice but to run for the highest hill he could find in the circumstances. Christie has apparently already decided that the functions of the Minister/Ministry of Financial Services should be rolled up into his portfolio as Minister of Finance. Heaven help what little now remains of the financial services sector of the Bahamas!
Publius 9 years, 4 months ago
Actually, that Ministry is a non-Ministry statutorily in the first place. The Ministry of Finance was always the statutory authority on fiscal matters. That Ministry was a patronage post created by the PLP government in 2002 and again in 2012.
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
The average Bahamian makes about $20,000 per year. The average MP salary/income assets is FIVE times the average salary. In other words, an average Bahamian MP is already rich by Bahamian standards. So for a Cabinet Minister (who makes about $100,000 per year) to find it a "real challenge" speaks of just one thing ......................... GREED.
By the way ........ we do not elect poor MPs anymore .......... that should tell us something.
GrassRoot 9 years, 4 months ago
The salary is only one side of the being a Politician in the Bahamas, benefits (Car, driver, office etc.), fringe benefits (invitations to dinner, formal events etc.) another, and then a post in the Cabinet offers huge economic actual or potentially future benefits to the members (jobs in quasi government entities, such as BEC, etc., board positions in companies set up by foreign investors etc.). This is a happening all day long every single day. And of course, then there is the dark side, too.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
Keep your day job then. If you want a big salary don't run in the next election. There, now you know
Tommy77 9 years, 4 months ago
Agreed.
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GrassRoot 9 years, 4 months ago
if you want big windfall or an annuity payment built into a private public partnership, RUN in the next election.
asiseeit 9 years, 4 months ago
Perry thinks we are stupid hey? $28,00 is the base pay, add in all the benefits, added business for their law firm, board appointments, and more and they all are making over $100,000 a year. Let us not forget that we know, even though they break the law and do not disclose it, most M.P.'s are millionairs. These set are so out of touch they do not realize that most Bahamians are not even scratching $20,000 a year out of their job. Not only that they (the people) are not the ones driving the country into the dirt. Maybe if these jokers where doing a half way decent job at running the country there would be reason to give them a raise but quite frankly the country is is a shambles and they are failures at best at their jobs. A pay cut would be more in order!
jamaicaproud 9 years, 4 months ago
How can people be eeking out 20grand in such prosperity?
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
Twenty grand more than the average Jamaican ... now our buying power is lower than in Jamaica ........ because our cost of living in far higher
jamaicaproud 9 years, 4 months ago
That is the danger of a Dollar economy without the output to match.
The_Oracle 9 years, 4 months ago
I thought it was $20k plus and all you could steal? Is there nothing left to steal? good grief we are in bad shape!
SP 9 years, 4 months ago
...... Salaries Of Politicians is a huge windfall compared to salaries of the average Bahamian ....
Don't bother even thinking raising one without raising the other!
watcher 9 years, 4 months ago
We don't have to read very far between these lines to know that yet another chunk of VAT change will go towards increased parliamentary salaries. Let me guess - Vomit will soon declare that he and his cronies deserve an 8% pay rise
Regardless 9 years, 4 months ago
Whatever the rationale on both sides, no cabinet minister has ever facilitated such exit from national fiduciary.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
They just gave BEC workers a Christmas bonus, an abomination. They simply don't care what the public thinks. They will do as they please. If he's floating this AGAIN, Fred is behind him pushing for a raise.
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
Who would think of voting for these PLP Cabinet Ministers again???????? They have betrayed the patrimony of the nation ............ they are there to protect our national interests not a handful of greedy corporation workers or political cronies .............. this is disgraceful
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