Pay grade of top government officials
What is the salary for the Cayman Islands premier, deputy premier, ministers, MLAs and the governor?
Auntie’s answer: While you might have been hoping for an exact number for each salary, Gloria McField-Nixon, chief officer in the Portfolio of the Civil Service, did supply a precise range, and how that is determined, for the officials you inquired about, plus a few more.
Let’s start with the governor. Helen Kilpatrick’s salary, she explained, is based on a 20% premium of whatever the deputy governor might earn, so the governor’s annual pay ranges from $199,714 to $220,435.
Next up are the speaker, premier, deputy premier, and other cabinet ministers, who are considered grade B on the civil service salary scale. This translates into a range per year of $158,400 to $179,196.
Falling into grade D on the scale are the leader of the opposition, deputy speaker and other MLAs, meaning their yearly salaries range from $109,932 to $130,668.
Category: Ask Auntie
Civil Service salaries should be halved, at least. MLAs should not be paid at all: it is a part-time job so let those who really want to serve the community do it.
Civil Service doesn’t make as much as you think. the majority makes less than 3000 pm. so you expect them to live on 1500 or less pm.
So Eugene ” The Invisible Man ” Ebanks gets about $120,000 for sitting dumbstruck in the LA a few times a year – how does break down as an hourly rate. And don’t start spouting about all the work he does in WB – probably out fishing most of the time.
But CEOs wirk every day And theyget canned if no performance
4;08 a very good point. Private sector salaries are over the top. Most CEO’S of major firms and banks make $1m or more a year. Our Deputy Governor is the worse paid CEO in Cayman and he oversees 3600 persons. Moreover. he has turned the Civil Service around and made significant improvements.
Our Premier should be paid far more than he is paid.
What Ms. McField-Nixon left out is that the Deputy Governor must be at Grade A, above the elected officials, for the Governor’s salary to be a 20% premium on that position. Who else is at Grade A then if being Speaker or Premier is not enough? Chief Justice? Attorney General?
It seems she answered the questioned asked.
Many “sour grapes” comments on here about statutory authorities from their fellow career Civil Servants. Sad. There is much that you will learn on this topic very soon, May 2017 to be precise – “drain the swamp” BUT not the one off Eastern Avenue!
These salaries are way too low. Compared to what the private sector and CEO’s of the SAGC’S where $600k and $200k PA is the norm.
Can you tell me why the CEO’s of the SAGC’S are paid more than our Premier?
How are we going to attract the best and the brightest to Parliament and the Civil Service with these low salaries ?
Let’s get this corrected quickly please.
Idiotic comment. Government is not in the business of profits as the private sector are. Government barely do anything in comparison and earn TOO MUCH for doing too little and in some cases, nothing at all.
7;50 am, agreed, true commit.
You are a joker, right?
Top CEOs or other top managers are working their a$$es off to E A R N that kind of money and their compensations are commensurable with the end results. No profit, no compensation. Apples and oranges you compare.
Comment had to have been made by a politician! CEO’s have to be at work, all day. They cannot ride on anyone’s coat tail. How many politicians have never showed up at the LA, or just sit in and take a nap? Done absolutely nothing? Get free KX flights, free excess luggage? Too many! And they want more money?? Give me a break! It’s the only reason they are there – for money and perks they never had before!
9:16 pm, very, very, true.
I agree with you; however, speaking for SAGCs only, people are rarely promoted based on skill and consistent quality work. So you can expect incompetent people making silly decisions wasting public funds. All while they take home a sizable portion of these public funds.
Until this situation is fixed, I suggest the salaries scales stay where they are.
I’d prefer their salaries to be halved!
They should be attracted because of service. I know it’s rare here but there are people that want to do good for their country and people in general. By your standards we will tend to get the SOS of more money=good.
Salary is a fraction of total comp. When you add in free medical, security, personal assistants, office, first class travel, $1000 a seat VIP events, crony kickbacks (and corporate board seats), construction and infrastructure baksheesh, VIP CAL boarding and clearance at airport, and the not so insignificant fact that several MLAs simultaneously draw a pension while also on a fixed salary, total comp is easily double or triple posted salary figure. Divide that number by the total hours spent in the LA and it’s an astonishing hourly rate. Plus the most deplorable are self-anointed as “honorable for life”, and party-sponsored for Royal Gong treatment. Some of them have even set up their own 8 figure “cookie jars” of public funds to dole out money as if it were their own, without any recourse or investigation. Talk about freedom.
Absolutely true. Some of the statutory heads are even provided with a $40K pick up truck and free gas and making more than the governor. Nepotism rules.
Plus 50% pension contribution given. and lifetime pensions after a few years. Plus double dipping etc
Agreed. Should be no pension paid. Sometimes they only serve a few years and get a pension for life. Wrong Wrong Wrong. Waste of public money
Amen!!
Oh my! I want to be a politician!
Is it in CI or USD?
Either way it’s way too much and most MLAs are in it for the wrong reasons… Big pay cheque for lip service and no real work for Cayman and their respective constituencies. SMH.
Seems fair. These individuals are representative in areas of social leadership, including legislation. If your looking to “pick teeth” which i assume this article is all about. Lets focus on getting rid of antequated areas of govt . The need to visit an office to manually pay for fees or make request. These are too small concerns which im sure will create higher efficency and move staff into greater value positions if we simply automated them. Shrink the bloated and unnecessary govt. Maximize efficency by partnering with technology.
Stop using govt as a hiring tool.
Move revenue into areas of social development . Trade schools come to mind .
Stoo assuming govt is here to walk you through life.
It doesn’t seem fair at all to me there is very little social responsibility, little evidence of true leadership and absolutely no accountability. Instead of following the recommendations of the Miller Shaw report they instead increase the size of the CIG so I agree with your comments about cutting the size of the bloated government.
It would be interesting to compare these pay scales with those of a CEO or other top manager in a local law firm, accounting firm, bank or other big company. This is especially relevant to the head of the civil service which is a huge and diverse organization. Anyone with info on private sector rates?
You cannot and should not compare the two. Entirely different business models for different purposes. Government is paid by the public purse and supposedly exist to improve public life, infrastructure and finances. They are not in business to make profit as the private sector do.
If we compare salaries guess we should compare qualifications.
I don’t think half of these MLAs and civil servants could claim to have the same qualifications and years post qualification experience in related fields.
Even the Caymanian MLAs who are lawyers may not have the experience to earn more than they do as MLAs
It would be more interesting to compare work and results. You won’t find much of either in government.
So you are asking for more legislation or more transparency? Needless to say this has nothing to do with what qualified individuals or voted in representatives should earn. Do you agree? Your concern seems to surround corruption. A very real concern but not one that should place these roles in lower income brackets.
I actually said nothing of corruption but if you want to add it to the long list of faults you certainly have my backing.