SIMPSON BAY--The Board of St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) submitted a request to the Council of Ministers on February 4 to postpone or cancel the transfer of any additional concession rights to Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC), including the waters of Simpson Bay and Simpson Bay Lagoon, until a complete investigation into Port St. Maarten Group of Companies and SLAC is conducted.
“It’s been over five years since the Harbour Group of Companies gained control of SLAC as a 100-per-cent-owned subsidiary of the Harbour, and during that time they have yet to do anything to truly help promote the marine industry, protect the environment, or improve the services offered in Simpson Bay,” said the Board in a press statement on Wednesday.
SMMTA has objected to Port St. Maarten’s management of SLAC for many years, because the Port is the parent company of SLAC, but competes with the very marine businesses it is meant to regulate through SLAC.
“The fact that the Harbour has the ability to regulate the industry while competing directly with it has created a very serious and direct conflict of interest. In addition, SLAC charges fees to every vessel transiting the Simpson Bay Bridge and all vessels moored in Simpson Bay, or in the lagoon, yet they provide almost no services. There are no public dinghy docks, garbage collection areas, pump out services, or facilities for vessels to take on fresh water – all of these services are currently provided and maintained by the private sector.”
SMMTA said it is not opposed to SLAC charging fees, but it suggested on multiple occasions that the fee structure should be reviewed and a more customer-friendly structure should be considered.
For instance, SLAC could offer monthly, seasonal, and annual cruising permits rather than charging customers each time they transit the bridge,” said SMMTA.
SMMTA’s board emphasized that their official request to the Council of Ministers to reconsider the still pending transfer “is essential and warranted, especially considering the past and current irregularities with the Harbour Group of Companies’ management team.”
Port St. Maarten, as a government-owned company, was established to facilitate and promote business activity on St. Maarten through the development and operation of Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo facility, said SMMTA. However, Port St. Maarten’s management team has “unilaterally expanded their objectives to include competing with the private sector on many levels. This should not be permitted or tolerated by our Government or our citizens when the Harbour competes against the private sector and simultaneously regulates it through their control of SLAC,” said SMMTA.
