PHILIPSBURG--The Port Authority’s Supervisory Board, which currently only has two members, will soon be supplemented with a minimum of three more members, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Roger Lawrence stated recently in an early morning interview with The Daily Herald.
With the recent departure of a member, the board was reduced to two members. An appointment procedure was started in early 2021 to select additional board members, but the procedure was not completed. Therefore, the procedural process has been restarted to ensure that the Port’s board is fully functional, Lawrence explained.
As a former senior manager at Port St. Maarten, Lawrence said he understands the importance of a full Supervisory Board and therefore appointing new members is one of his ministry’s priorities. “I understand the importance of a Supervisory Board to ensure compliance and the overall functioning of the company is done with important measures,” he explained.
“About a year ago, there was some traction. I believe attempts have been made to look for new members, but the process was not completed and due to the time passed we had to reassess.”
Lawrence said he is currently discussing the overall composition and profiles of the candidates with the Council of Ministers to ensure a balanced board with the necessary competencies in place at the Port. He explained that by law there must be at least three board members to vote
“We can anticipate that the full board will be available in Port St. Maarten in the short term. We will make sure the procedure to appoint candidates will be done in the most transparent way to ensure that people have the opportunity to be on the board,” he concluded.
