POND ISLAND--Finding a solution to the financing of the still-to-be occupied “new” Government Administration Building and moving the public apparatus into that location on Pond Island are top priorities for the Coalition of Eight.
Getting the building sorted out is part of the “Action Programme” of the Coalition, National Alliance (NA) leader Prime Minister William Marlin announced in the Council of Ministers Press Briefing on Wednesday.
“We believe we can move into the building by June/July,” said Marlin thanks to intense discussion by Finance Minister Richard Gibson to come to a solution for the debt Government has to the Social and Health Insurances SZV and the General Pension Fund APS.
The coalition, comprising NA, Democratic Party (DP), United St. Maarten Party (USP) and independent Members of Parliament (MPs) Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake, recently met to iron out the Action Programme for January to September 2016. The Programme will cover the governance of the country until snap elections are held on Monday, September 26, 2016.
Originally, the Coalition had hoped to use the completed 2014-2018 Governing Programme of the “Red, White and Blue Coalition” that was formulated in September 2014. However, in light of the decreed Parliamentary Election date, an adapted approach has now been taken.
