The continued issues with funding the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta are a source of concern. After all, it regards one of the island’s biggest annual happenings in terms of generating both visitors and international publicity.
The pending contribution for 2015 had been cancelled only a week before the 2016 edition, while that of this year was never paid. With next year’s regatta during the first weekend of March looming on the horizon it is indeed high time to solve this matter once and for all.
It turns out the Council of Ministers has approved finances for 2017, but wants a service level agreement (SLA) to promote the destination instead of giving subsidy, similar to that of St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF). This has the advantage that an audited financial statement is not required, but rather a marketing plan.
It was not immediately clear whether the latter has been completed meanwhile or is in the works, although feedback was reportedly requested on a draft SLA. The regatta organisation would do well to comply, because gambling on a next minister doing things the old way or in any case differently seems risky at best.
Particularly with the NA again part of the incoming Government the current policy is likely to stay in place, even if the tourism portfolio went to UP. Trying to meet whatever new conditions were set is therefore the advisable approach, especially as the monies have already been earmarked.
That does not take away the problems caused by the sudden lack of funding for the past two years, a grim reality with which the organisation has coped admirably well. Considering the huge economic impact of the event, there is obviously no more room for such hiccups in the future.
