Dear Editor,
Nearly three months after the passing of Hurricane IRMA the people of St. Maarten are still grappling to get their lives back in order. One of the main things that has to happen without further delay is the repairing of the roofs, and especially those of our senior citizens.
Government on a bi-weekly basis is also providing food vouchers to the value of NAf.150 to those in need to facilitate the purchase of food products. Many persons have been to the government building in order to report that they are in need of such help, and to enquire how to receive the help they are looking for. There are many out there in the community who do not know how to apply for help from the government or who to talk to, or where to go. Persons are questioning if they qualify or not for aid; they want to know what the criteria are with which someone would have to comply.
I am calling on the Minister of VSA-Social Welfare and Labour, Minister Emile Lee to publish in the papers and otherwise the criteria to obtain help from the Government.
In the interest of transparency, the Minister of VSA needs to publish how many homes have qualified for government assistance to be repaired.
This is government money. It’s important for persons who are given information to know whether or not their home will be repaired by Government, or if they have to do so themselves.
It’s better to know NOW than to be waiting for no reason and in vain.
Member of Parliament Rodolphe Samuel
