The new acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Jeevan Joseph, could receive a monthly compensation package of $108,000.
This figure comes from information obtained by Guardian Media detailing the proposed salaries of newly appointed senior executives at the State utility.
The appointments were announced in an internal email sent to staff on Wednesday, the same day former CEO Keithroy Halliday and nine other top executives were fired, which said the board of commissioners had approved a new leadership structure effective immediately. However, the salaries were not disclosed in the correspondence sent to staff. That was circulated in a separate document received by Guardian Media.
The acting CEO will have a ten-man executive team in various positions taking charge of the authority, with salaries reportedly ranging from $50,000 to $73,500. It was unclear if members of the new executive team will be receiving additional perks and allowances which could see their monthly salaries increasing.
According to the email, Joseph, “will have oversight of the Operations Division.”
Sources told Guardian Media another person is being considered for the role of Director of Operations but that name was not included in the email.
The email also said Krishna Persadsingh, acting Director of Wastewater Services, will oversee the Customer Care Division “until the respective appointments are made.”
A name is also being considered for that post but it was not listed in the communication to staff either.
Persadsingh is also the councillor for La Fortune/Debe North in the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation.
Meanwhile, Rachelle Wilkie, acting Head of Payments, Treasury, Financial and Capital Reporting, “will coordinate the activities of the Finance Division until July 2, 2025” according to the email.
In addition to Joseph’s $108,000 package, ten other individuals have been appointed in acting roles, with monthly salaries at either $50,000 or $73,500, depending on the post. The named executives are:
Natalie Huggins, Corporate Secretary/General Counsel (Ag)
Mervyn Gibson, Director, Human Resources (Ag)
Lancelot Lezama, Director, Finance (Ag)
Dain Maharaj, Director, Corporate Services (Ag)
Krishna Persadsingh, Director, Wastewater Services (Ag)
Shawn Salandy, Director, Strategic Programme Development & Implementation (Ag)
Kendall Spencer, Head, Procurement (Ag)
Rachelle Wilkie, Head, Payments, Treasury, Financial and Capital Reporting (Ag)
Leah Guevara, Head, Audit & Compliance (Ag)
Cheryl Heather Blanchard, Head, Legal Services (Ag)
It remains unclear what recruitment process, if any, was followed in selecting external personnel, or whether any had previously worked at WASA.
Last year in an interview former, then-minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales said WASA received over 1,500 applications from Barbados, Jamaica, USA, Europe, England, Africa, and the Middle East for the CEO position, which attracted close to 500 applicants.
WASA had originally picked a CEO from Zimbabwe. However, he died before taking up office, opening the door for now-sacked Halliday, a native of St Kitts and Nevis. Halliday previously served as the general manager of Barbados Water Authority.
Halliday had been receiving a $100,000 salary, as well as an $8,000 housing allowance, a company vehicle, and additional perks, along with eligibility for a performance bonus tied to specific targets.
Speaking in a post-Cabinet news conference back in May, when she literally tore up the previous administration’s transformation plan for WASA, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the plan was designed to “demonise” workers. She said her Government’s changes would result in an estimated $30 million in annual savings at WASA, which could be redirected toward national development.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath had described WASA’s existing management structure as “heavy,” with 34 executive positions costing over $70 million annually.
Guardian Media yesterday contacted WASA chairman Roshan Babwah to confirm the salary figures and clarify the employment status of those appointed. Questions were also raised about whether any cost-benefit analysis had been done to assess the financial impact of the new leadership structure. Up to press time, no response was received.