Dear Editor,

  Today is a day that we should reflect on the many promises that were made by the Kingdom of the Netherlands represented by Mr. Knops where he gave instructions to the St. Maarten Government that he would grant or in some cases loan us 5 million euros with conditions just to assist us with the damage that was done to our country St. Maarten after the passing of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. It is now 2 years after the passing of those hurricanes and we are still not able to obtain those grants from the Dutch Kingdom Government.

  If we read 2 Kings 4:1-7 you will see that God can give us strategies to provide for us in times of need. God uses miraculous ways to do this. Let us all come together and stop depending on the outside help and ensure that we ourselves offer our resources and efforts to, for example,

1. put back roofs on poor people's homes
2. build back our Airport
3. renovate our library
4. update our post office
5. use one of the already studies that were given to past Governments to rebuild a healthier and more organized landfill.
6. Increase on fees for all visitors for a 5-year period to assist with the recovery of SxM from the Head tax at the Harbor and the Departure tax at the airport (only for visitors).
7. Have the chamber of Commerce increase all business registration fees for a period of 3 years maximum.

  We all need to sacrifice if we want to move forward without waiting on a handout from our so-called Kingdom partner in Europe, the Netherlands.

  Have a fruitful weekend to all my FB friends and family. You have the key in your hand and all you need to do is take your key and use it to:

1. open the door to Prosperity
2. open the door to Unity
3. open the door to Integrity
4. open the door to Sacrifice
5. open the door to Trusting each other
6. open the door to Generosity

  Let's do it together and join forces with Parliament and Government to achieve this goal. God bless all of you.

Charles Jeffrey Richardson

Dear Editor,

  Over the years, the words good government, integrity and transparency have moved to the forefront of consultant’s and internal government reports. In St. Eustatius efforts were made to “teach” the government representatives what and how they were expected to adhere to these words and their underlying principles.

  The dissolution of the locally-elected government in February 2018 was justified based on these words. Today in Sint Eustatius, the question remains whether, under the “new taskmasters” direct rule, they are themselves adhering to and implementing these words and their principles.

  While the present direct rulers have embarked on a number of improvements island-wide, there remains something amiss.  Under the abrogated regime there would have been a number of Island Council meetings in which the opposition would have taken the government to task as to the process of awarding contracts, the amount these projects would cost, the time period of the projects, and whether the local contractors were able to secure participation in the projects, etc. Eventually, the government would usually approve the projects.

  If there were any time delays and cost overruns a similar show-down would have taken place. However, this process would have been open to the public, it would have been broadcast and there would have been summaries in the local newspapers. The entire process would have ensured transparency. The Executive Council would have had to answer questions pertaining to advices and the process. Contrast this to now. The tendering of the bolstering of the teetering Fort Oranje, how did the process go? The road project, what was the delay and how much extra might that cost? The public has a right to know. 

  The greatest transgression to the transparency principle is surely the organizational restructuring of the civil service. The high-handed manner in which the government has thus far acted is symptomatic of the total disregard for transparency. On April 23, the government as represented by Mervyn Stegers, held a session for the civil service to inform them of the steps that will be taken in the restructuring process.  However, during this meeting the government representatives left out cardinal information about how the structure is to be developed. Scant plausible information was provided concerning what this restructuring will look like.

  There are a number of questions that Stegers failed to address. For example, how many people will be moved?  Will there be new departments created?  Are there any new job descriptions?  Which positions will be eliminated?

  Does not the failure of the government officials to provide this information breach the practices of good governance?   Does there not need to be more transparency in the process? Compounding the problem is that the government officials are asking the civil servants to take a leap into the unknown and commit to his plan without a clue as to the major implication for their future within or out of government.

  How many new units will be created? How many actual positions will be eliminated due to downsizing? Does not this lack of transparency raise a question as to the integrity of the entire process?  One wonders if the government officials just assumed that the civil servants would agree with an unknown plan.  It seems that they underestimated their intelligence and critical thinking capacity.

  During this meeting, when pushed to clarify the re-structuring process  Stegers answered by stating that too much information would ensue chaos. But transparency is not the nurturer of fear. Rather a lack of transparency will ultimately increase fear and lead to chaos.

  Stegers divulged that within two weeks each civil servant will be individually presented with their new role, and by July 1^st the new structure will be in place. In evaluating these profound issues, the effort seems more an exercise in obfuscation rather than transparency.   Sandra Alvarez once stated, “Lying by omission breeds mistrust. Once the person you have been hiding things from finds out, the likelihood of them trusting you again has gone out the window.” 

  Transparency is intended to breed trust. By failing to have public debates on the issues, and by curtailing the information flow, trust is ravished and transparency becomes murky in the process.  The lack of transparency is not a characteristic of good governance and is surely leading to integrity issues.  It is interesting that over the years, we Statians have been told that we were lacking in these three areas.  Perhaps it is time the lessons were reciprocated in the opposite direction.

The EUX Writers Club

The pen is mightier than the sword

SRA, JHR, TEL

Dear Editor,

  The board of the National Alliance hereby salute all the workers and the unions of this island nation St. Maarten and the rest of the world on their special day, May 1, 2019. The struggle continues as you and your unions work towards improving your benefits and livelihood. Nevertheless, we are still faced with one of the most injustices that any people have to endure; namely, the abuse of the short-term contracts.       
  It is very unfortunate that after the National Alliance has submitted draft legislation to stem the abuse of the short term labor contracts that these changes to date have not been implemented. The same goes for the draft legislation submitted for the Youth Employment Fund and the execution of the Youth Employment Fund Program.

  We will continue to bring changes to our present labor laws in developing a strong labor market that will be beneficial to the entire nation.

  We salute you for all your hard work and dedication in making this nation the second best to none especially after the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Over and over, you the workers have shown your true worth in giving the best of you to this nation.

Lenny F. Priest

President of the National Alliance

Dear Editor,

  The yachting industry of St. Maarten has bounced back faster post-hurricane than most economic activities and once again made a huge contribution to the economy at a time when it was much needed. It is an industry with a potential that provides many of the ideal features of any industry that a small Caribbean island might consider attracting to its shores.

  Competition in this industry is increasing as many Caribbean islands try to attract an industry that provides high-paying jobs, spinoffs at the high end and a long-term future.

  But like every growing industry, the countries that win this “new business” will be those that make their offering the most attractive with competitive prices and best service.

  St. Maarten can be one of the big winners in the Caribbean in this market. There are some matters that need to be dealt with for St. Maarten to come out the winner.

  The country and the government must fully see the value and benefit of the industry. In order for this to happen it would require that the government, parliament and the people can track the revenues coming out of the industry directly as well as indirectly. No government is going to invest in an industry unless they see its potential and to do that they need dependable data and information. To date this is not available.

  Then there are some other small matters that would quickly lead us to the dynamic industry that the country would appreciate and benefit from. Like every new industry it would need some enabling and facilitation. So, somewhere in government there needs to be a policy advisor who really understands the issue and can give good advice to policy-makers. This policy-maker would understand the complexity of the industry and realize it cannot be marketed by the same people who handle stayover tourism or cruise tourism.

  The policy-maker would be able to advise on which parts of yachting would create the greatest employment for the country. The policy-maker would be able to advise how best to tax the industry to ensure competitiveness and still provide a return. This policy-maker would identify how to ensure that a well-trained work force at both high- and low-skilled levels makes use of the opportunities. The policy-maker would see the value of a passionate marine/yachting community who would develop skills that would pass on from generation to generation.

  Country Sint Maarten has the outstanding opportunity to enjoy the benefits of hosting this lucrative industry, but in order to do that, a well-thought-out enabling and facilitation plan based on the real circumstances of the industry must be developed and executed by knowledgeable parties.

Robbie Ferron