Dear Editor,
Over the past number of years the economy of Sint Maarten was not doing badly. Hospitality was not doing badly and generally business was not in dire straits. The GDP was claimed to be in slight growth. The political conversation did not much focus on economic growth in this relatively benign period. Intense political conversation with a high degree of participation by Sint Maarteners mainly covered issues relating to benefits and entitlement and employment s of the population, both short term and long term. The productivity of the country got relatively little attention.
Now we have had this major hurricane calamity and the productivity of the island, on the basis of any assessment looks very bleak in the short term.
In spite of this, the political conversation continues mainly about benefits and entitlements with the only major change being that currently the source of benefits and entitlements is considered to be the Dutch reconstruction aid.
The manner in which the Dutch reconstruction aid is to be injected is not yet known. Undoubtedly it is a short-term solution. The real solutions in getting the economy back to previous levels lie in somehow incentivizing and encouraging existing investors to reinvest and to do it quickly. Or for domestic investment to be made. The quicker those investments are made, the sooner productivity will rise and the sooner we will not be dependent on assistance.
However, there is no news whatsoever about such plans. There is no conversation about the need for those plans. The relevant Ministry has not issued any statements as to how they are fulfilling their responsibility to optimize economic planning for the country and minimize our dependence on aid. Should parliamentarians not be requesting such plans and scrutinizing them as a priority?
Robbie Ferron
