HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – The Bermuda government has defended the decision to appoint a consultant to the Middle East for one year with a salary of US$240,000.
Premier David Burt, in a statement, said attorney Alexia Hefti has been given a one-year contract “to realize the full scope of opportunities presented by this exciting region.”
Bart said that the Governor and the United Kingdom government had been consulted before the appointment and that the post still needed approval from Whitehall.
Hefti’s appointment had been made public by Premier Burt during last Friday’s House of Assembly sitting as he responded to questions from the opposition calling for details on the number of advisers appointed since the previous year.
Premier Bart said Hefti was one of 70 consultants on the government payroll and that her contract took effect from April with a salary of $20,000 per month.
In his statement on Monday night, Premier Burt said Bermuda needed to develop awareness in the Gulf region, “which has a proven track record of development success.
“To realize the full scope of opportunities this exciting region presents, Bermuda must advance strategically and strategically, building relationships with a part that values the same business environment that has made us a successful and trusted jurisdiction for investment and trade globally.
“To establish a Bermuda government representative presence in the region, the UK Government has been requested through Government House to approve the appointment of a representative under the terms of the existing Entrustment which regulates the Government of Bermuda’s conduct of activities in foreign countries.
“We are working with Government House on this. In my recent meetings in London, I took the opportunity to confirm Bermuda’s interest in establishing such a representative present, recognizing there are precedents with other Overseas Territories pursuing similar interests abroad.”
Burt said Bermuda has a recent history of establishing links with oil-rich states in the region and has signed several agreements and Memorandums of Understanding with Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
He said that former Premier and Minister of Finance Paula Cox led a Bermuda delegation of business leaders to the region when she was in office between 2010 and 2012.
Emphasizing the importance of the growing relationship between Bermuda and the Middle East, a government spokesman said, “In 2019, Premier David Burt re-engaged representatives of countries in the Gulf region during an official visit to Brussels as the Government looked to expand relations outside of North America and Europe.
“The Premier held a meeting with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to discuss investment opportunities in Bermuda and strengthening economic relations between the UAE and Bermuda.
“Additionally, Premier Burt met with the Head of Mission for the Gulf Cooperation Council to the EU, where he also discussed potential investment opportunities in Bermuda and the strengthening of relations with countries in the GCC.”
The spokeswoman said Hefti had been based in the Middle East for several years and has engaged with the region’s governments, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and multilateral financial institutions.
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