News that the draft Integrity Chamber ordinance will be handled by Parliament starting today, Friday is obviously welcome. After all, that and the joint border control already signed off on were the main two conditions placed by the Dutch Government to make available 550 million euros pledged in reconstruction aid for St. Maarten.
Of course, the proposed law must first be debated in the Central Committee, so it may be moved on to a Plenary Session for approval. Even then the legislation goes to the Ombudsman for constitutional review before it takes effect.
Hopefully, the remaining process can be sped up a bit, but once adopted by the legislature in any case the local political establishment will have done its part to get the much-needed assistance, some three months after the devastating passage of Hurricane Irma. An agreement on administering these financial means needs to be reached most likely with the World Bank too.
After that it comes down to solid proposals for spending the money as well as repaying the expected loan component. Caretaker Prime Minister Rafael Boasman said some projects in the areas of economic development, education, security and institutional strengthening will take place before the actual release of the funds, while social projects are already underway or coming soon via non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and housing is a high priority.
The goal is to quickly and significantly better the quality of life for victims of the natural disaster, create jobs and/or stimulate the economy. The latter includes helping the dominant hospitality industry get back on track.
Building the new hospital continues to be at the top of the list, according to Public Health Minister Emil Lee. The design will be adjusted so that the planned medical facility also serving St. Eustatius and Saba is able to withstand even stronger winds than originally anticipated.
Meanwhile, Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops confirmed that the resumption of tourism is paramount for structural improvement. Ultimately, to truly recover, the island should again become the thriving holiday destination it used to be.
