[UPDATED] $100k salary for incoming WASA CEO...plus perks

AMIDST ongoing public jitters over the possibility of an increase in water rates, cash-strapped and heavily subsidised public utility, the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), is set to offer its incoming CEO Keithroy Halliday a whopping base salary of $100,000 plus other perks.

This was revealed on November 15 by WASA's line minister Marvin Gonzales during his response to a question asked by Princes Town MP Barry Padarath during the sitting of the House of Representatives.

Gonzales, the Public Utilities Minister, said Halliday’s pay package was competitive given the expectations being place don him.

“Halliday would be required to lead the transformation of the authority, which is a significant undertaking, and to attract and retain a high-calibre and highly competent incumbent in the hyper competitive job market for such a task, a competitive salary and benefit package including performance based incentives are crucial.”

Gonzales said Halliday's perks included:

* $8,000 a month housing allowance

* A company-maintained vehicle worth not in excess of $400,000 (VAT exclusive) for Halliday's business and personal use during the duration of his contract

* $2,300 a month reimbursement for reasonable entertainment expenses incurred in the conduct of business-related activities.

* $1,000 a month telephone allowance

* Eligibility to register for WASA's medical insurance plan

* A gratuity of 20 per cent of his gross salary earned over the period of employment, payable on satisfactory completion of the terms of engagement and subjected to tax deductions.

* An annual bonus payable on attainment of 100 per cent of performance targets. The bonus for the first year is six months salary, and four months salary the second and third year of the contract.

Gonzales listed the performance targets which include full water coverage across all districts; improvement in water coverage to all unserved and underserved communities; operational cost coverage; compliance with Cabinet instructions for WASA's management restructuring; organisational process re-engineering; implementation of new performance management systems; reduction of all unsafe conditions; an increase in customer satisfaction rating and; reduction in non-revenue water.

He said the terms of the compensation were informed by a job-evaluation exercise conducted by an external specialist human resource firm – at the State’s expense – commissioned by WASA's board of commissioners.

The terms were approved by a human resources sub-committee of Cabinet and the WASA board of commissioners.

Gonzales said Halliday will be paid in TT dollars.

He was recruited after the previous candidate, a man from Zimbabwe, died in July before taking office.

The news of Halliday’s compensation comes weeks after Gonzales defended the $66 million cut in WASA's allocation for contract employment in the 2025 national budget.

Speaking during the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives meeting on October 14, Gonzales said government was streamlining executive management positions at WASA.

The estimates of revenue and expenditure for statutory bodies show for 2025, WASA’s budget is set at $399 million, compared to the $466 million spent last year

This was an increase on the $458 million spent in 2023.

The document also showed plans for a 2025 cutting of salaries by $37 million, wages and COLA by $16 million, monthly-paid overtime by $18 million and daily-paid overtime by $10 million.

Gonzales has repeatedly spoken about plans to restructure WASA and cut wage costs.

In July 2022, he announced plans to cut WASA's 426-strong management team by 50 per cent.

He said this was the first step in "transforming" the State-run utility and cutting its operating costs by 25 per cent.

At a briefing at his Port of Spain office on July 21, 2022, Gonzales said the restructuring was necessary to make WASA an agency that will "meet the needs of the population but not be a burden on the Treasury."

On September 5, WASA’s Board of Commissioners announced the company’s new nine-member executive management team which, it said, “brought together a wealth of experience and expertise to its ongoing transformation and would officially start work on November 1.”

WASA chairman Ravindra Nanga previously told Newsday hiring the executives was the final step before the restructuring promised by Gonzales would begin.

The executives appointed to work alongside Halliday include director, corporate finance, Karlene Ammon; director, people, transformation and central services, Neil Derrick; director of technology, future systems and sustainability, Alisha Romano; director, water management services (north east), Shaira Ali; director, water management services (northwest), Kelvin Romain; director, water management services (central), Sharon Bailey; director water management services (south) Anand Jaggernath; and director, water management services (Tobago), Brian Williams.

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

AMIDST ongoing public jitters over the possibility of an increase in water rates, cash-strapped and heavily subsidised public utility the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is set to offer its incoming chief executive officer Keithroy Halliday a whopping base salary of $100,000 plus other perks.

This was revealed on November 15 by WASA's line minister Marvin Gonzales during his response to a question asked by Princes Town MP Barry Padarath during the sitting of the House of Representatives.

The question, for oral answer was: What is the remuneration package offered to Dr Keithroy Halliday, WASA's CEO-designate?

In giving context to his answer, Gonzales, the Public Utilities Minister, said since the CEO is required to lead transformation of the authority, "which is a significant undertaking," and in order to attract and retain a high-calibre and highly-competent incumbent in the hyper-competitive job market for such a task, a competitive salary and benefit package including performance-based incentives were crucial.

So what exactly is the package? The minister gave a breakdown of Halliday's compensation:

• A salary of $100,000
• $8,000 a month housing allowance
• A company-maintained vehicle worth not in excess of $400,000 (VAT exclusive) for Halliday's business and personal use during the duration of his contract
• $2,300 a month reimbursement for entertainment expenses incurred in the conduct of business-related activities.
• $1,000 a month telephone allowance
• Eligible to register to WASA medical insurance plan
• A gratuity of 20 per cent of Halliday's gross salary earned over the period of employment, payable on satisfactory completion of the terms of engagement. The gratuity will be subjected to tax deductions.
• An annual bonus payable on attainment of 100 per cent of performance targets – with said bonus being six months salary for the first year, and four months salary for years two and three of the contract period.

Gonzales then said in order for Halliday to access the bonus, he had to meet 100 per cent of the performance-incentive targets which include full water coverage across all districts; improvement in water coverage to all unserved and underserved communities; operational cost coverage;

Compliance with Cabinet instructions re WASA's management restructuring; organisational process re-engineering; implementation of new performance management systems; reduction of all unsafe conditions; an increase in customer satisfaction rating and; reduction in non-revenue water.

Gonzales said the terms of the compensation were informed by a job-evaluation exercise conducted by an external specialist human resource firm – at State expense – commissioned by WASA's board of commissioners. The terms were approved by a human resources sub-committee of Cabinet and the WASA board of commissioners. CEO Halliday will be paid in TT dollars.