A Member of Parliament (MP) who visited with the Head of the Dutch Civil Mission says in today’s paper that the discussion made clear it will be a while before the actual disbursement of recovery assistance from a total of 550 million euros pledged by the Netherlands takes place. “Possibly before the end of May 2018” was mentioned.
If correct – and there’s no reason to doubt that – apart from the initial relief aid St. Maarten will be pretty much on its own until then, during what is normally the “high season” of the local tourism economy. With the bulk of major resorts to remain closed the entire winter, it is no wonder many businesses are forced to gradually reduce employees’ paid working hours, cut salaries or send home staff, with all social consequences.
The rebuilding that can take place in the coming months is mainly thanks to insurance monies. Construction is therefore the field to which most of those who find themselves without a job and/or income probably may have to turn.
This is obviously not the time to be picky about one’s profession. People will simply have to make do with what is available in terms of meaningful employment.
The latter may require some retraining and, above all, a positive attitude. Generally speaking, persons willing to roll up their sleeves and perform whatever tasks are before them are always in demand.
They should be proactive and visit job fairs or even building sites if necessary to offer their services. Keep in mind that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with an honest day’s work.
