Dear Editor,

Over the past years, there have been widely publicized media reports about issues surrounding insurance company ENNIA and the companies directly affiliated with it. All mentioned companies are part of the business conglomerate of the well-known billionaire Hushang Ansary.

The “ENNIA saga” seems to have started back in 2010. Since then, at least six employees of ENNIA expressed their concerns about “risky” intercompany transactions between ENNIA Caribe Investments (ECI) and ENNIA. In that same year, the Central Bank of Aruba instructed ENNIA to take risk-mitigating measures.

Reportedly, the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) was warned about the situation at ENNIA by different players in the financial markets as early as 2011. Despite these warnings, it took until 2015 for DNB to investigate the matter. In the resulting confidential report published in June of that same year, ENNIA was qualified as “failed” from a financial and organizational perspective, based on the risks of “… significant and non-transparent mutual financial positions within the group … .”

Since the publication of the DNB report, in which Mr. Ansary was accused of financially “draining” ENNIA’s pension funds, a number of subsequent events took place. Some examples are:

* Raids on ENNIA offices in Curaçao by the Prosecutor in relation with the Emsley Tromp investigation;

* Instructions issued by the CBCS to ENNIA to take the Mullet Bay property off its books;

* ENNIA transferring US $100 million outside of the company without the approval of the CBCS;

* Mr. Ansary announcing new appointments and a reshuffling of the Board and Management;

* The Supervisory Board and management of ENNIA, including Mr. Ansary, being subsequently relieved of their duties;

* The CBCS filing (and winning) court injunctions against ENNIA.

Most recently, the developments surrounding ENNIA took a worrisome turn for the worse, when reports regarding liens on Mullet Bay (valued at US $460 million) and nine other properties owned by ENNIA-related Sun Resorts were published. Unfortunately, these latest reports should come as no surprise, based on all the events which took place during the past few years.

Since 10-10-10, all political parties and successive Governments have made statements and promises about Mullet Bay and its importance to the economic development of Sint Maarten. What is very surprising to the St. Maarten Development Movement though, as well as a reason for grave concern, is that despite the widely publicized problems at ENNIA, neither the Government of Sint Maarten nor any of the political parties represented in Parliament have issued a formal response to any of the developments regarding the “ENNIA saga” as yet. Why the deafening silence from the political establishment on Sint Maarten on a matter of this importance? This unexpected silence is surprising to the St. Maarten Development Movement for two reasons.

First of all, ENNIA is the largest insurance company in the Dutch Caribbean, serving clients and/or having investments on all six islands including Sint Maarten. This means that the people of Sint Maarten will be directly or indirectly affected by the consequences of financial problems at ENNIA and its related companies. Insurance premiums, pension premiums, and pension payments to ENNIA policy holders could be in serious jeopardy. This would be an additional blow to all segments of the population, in addition to the material and financial losses caused by Hurricane Irma. Particularly those who are largely dependent on pension benefits to sustain themselves would see their livelihood drop dramatically.

Secondly, Mullet Bay was once the proud and prosperous flagship of the hotel industry, and the main economic pillar of the economy of Sint Maarten. Yet despite all the political rhetoric from parties represented in Parliament since 10-10-10 that the re-opening of Mullet Bay is crucial for the sustainable development of Sint Maarten as a country, no information on the recently reported liens placed on the property has been forthcoming to the general public from the Government or opposition parties.

The CBCS, in its capacity as regulator, is charged with safeguarding the interest of the general public and those entitled to insurance and pension benefits from ENNIA. As such, the CBCS has enacted emergency regulations.

However, it would behove both the Government, who appoints the Supervisory Board of the CBCS, and the opposition parties to inform the general public what their position is on the developments surrounding ENNIA and Mullet Bay, and how they intend to protect the interest of the people of Sint Maarten in the short-, medium-, and long term. Even the Dutch Parliament questioned former Minister Dijsselbloem on this matter back in June of 2016.

On behalf of the people of Sint Maarten, the St. Maarten Development Movement is therefore urging the political parties represented in Parliament, and the Government in particular, to address the general public of Sint Maarten on the ENNIA/Mullet Bay issue and provide much needed information.

Hard questions need to be asked and answered by the Government. How will the livelihoods of the pensioners, their families, and other vulnerable segments of society be protected and guaranteed now and in the future, and by whom? What will the effects be if those who are entitled to benefits from ENNIA are forced to switch to another company? How will the Government prevent situations like the “ENNIA saga” from happening in the future? How will Mullet Bay and other valuable assets belonging to the people of Sint Maarten be protected as part of the country’s national patrimony?

The people have the right to know, and the St. Maarten Development Movement looks forward to a swift response from the Government to these and other questions.

Benjamin Ortega

Leader of the St. Maarten Development Movement

Dear Editor,
As we are entertained by the discussion of the migration issue in the United States and the huge contradictions involved in that issue it struck me that it might be a good time to pause and look at the migration issue here in Sint Maarten.
There is a fundamental difference between Sint Maarten and the United States. It is that our land mass, capacity and absorption capacity is minimal whilst in the United States it remains substantial with substantial absorption capacity.
It is the same, however, insofar as these economies both (and many other economies) require immigration to drive growth with the consistent model of development. In fact, the issue is not really immigration at all; it is, particularly in Sint Maarten, about growth.
The tiny economy of Sint Maarten grew quickly in the 1980s and 1990s through outside investment and the construction of tourist infrastructure. If it had not been for immigration, this growth could not have occurred at the speed it did. The second generation of these immigrants is less enthusiastic about working in construction and other physical tasking and so once again there is a shortage of construction workers. However, in the meantime the population has grown with all the consequences following this immigration wave.
Whatever policy is followed, if growth is to occur on the basis of the same model as previously, we will need to have more immigration.
Which makes the real question not an immigration question but a question of: Does Sint Maarten want/need to grow and if so in what way?
One would imagine that the population of Sint Maarten would want to consider:
* The fact that continued growth along the same model is going to increase congestion and a reduction in attractiveness to tourists and a reduction of quality of life for residents.
* The fact that continued growth along the same model is not going to lead to employment that suits a newer generation expecting higher-paying non-physical employment.
* That to meet the demand for high-paying non-physical jobs Sint Maarten will need to diversify into targeted industries, something that will not happen without the necessary investment and focus.
* That if this newer generation cannot find these jobs on-island their skills in which we have invested will move to jurisdictions that are growing jobs of this nature.
The choices are simple conceptually but brutally tough for political-decision making. It is simply not possible in the long run to “have your cake and eat it.”

Robbie Ferron

Dear Editor,

When it come for safety of visitors on the island St Maarten policemen and -women are very serious about the safety of all the tourists visiting the Island.

The justice minister and police will never accept visitors traveling on gypsies.

The justice minister and police will always do what it takes to protect visitors on the Island. Gypsies are illegal and should keep off the street.

Cuthbert Bannis

Dear Editor,
To the Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Justice: I cannot hold this back any longer. People are having a very hard time, but we only see that the sun comes up every day once we are in the land of the living. We don’t see the homeless, we don’t see the hungry and we are not seeing how many people are dying every day. We never give the countdown. But I sit and check what’s going on.
Yesterday something happened; we had two ships in port and the police were doing their control in Pointe Blanche, because that is the only way they feel they can embarrass the gypsies, the bus drivers and some taxi’s without orange shirts. And they say, keep things in order.
I do my things too. I don’t have a home, I live in a container, or sleep there. Because you can’t afford to live on your pension if you have to pay $500 for rent, $116 for light and $80 for water. How are poor people going to make it? We have so many people sick, poor and homeless.
I went all over the world and have seen public transportation gypsies or whatever they want to call them, and the tourists know that, and they come and go with the gypsies because they get a good deal.
I heard the police and control telling the tourists that the gypsies don’t have insurance for them. When I insured my car, I read the policy very well, I never saw a car with only one seat for the driver in St. Maarten (laugh), so how can they say something like that? Why can’t they solve crime, like finding the robbers of Domino’s or solve a murder?
But when people are working they go to the sites, take them out of a job, and put them to shame, but those people are helping build back the island. You not going to want to hear the truth. They run down the people on the beach; they say they are harassing the tourists and the tourists are the only income St. Maarten has. Why didn’t they put control when all the people they leave come into the island? No, St. Maarten was on top of the world.
Please stop embarrassing the tourists. Look, I want you to check if it has four ships in town and you want a taxi to the airport, try getting one in town; you better get a gypsy, or the plane will leave you. I can talk because I am a gypsy, so I know. They give taxi licences to people who don’t even know how to speak. I know they going to say, “Yes, Avril, you know it is wrong. But who feeds me? Must I be a beggar?
We have a little snack, and they are always on your back. Don’t play music a little hard and a few cars park up, they run leave all the thieves in town and run Sucker Garden to put people to shame, but they never can find a thief. They work only to embarrass their own and use their power to show off. I was very angry when I saw the Governor pinning medals on Holland police and marines and civil servants of St. Maarten who work hard. Public Works and the police know why they like to make people ashamed. You can be humble to them and speak nice, but they don’t care, they just feel give her a booth is you don’t like to go to the court you tell what it is they give you. Anyway, that’s all for now. Stop embarrassing the tourists, that’s all we have. And the rebuilding of St. Maarten.

Avril Gumbs