Dear Editor,
What is a smart way for Sint Maarten to manage its relations with the Dutch Kingdom in such a manner that it best serves the next generations and leads to optimal living standard and minimized vulnerability in the future?
Your answer will be influenced by your view of the vulnerability of St. Maarten. If you consider that our country suffers from doubtful administration and is at risk by having only a one-pillar economy you may consider us to be vulnerable.
If on the other hand you believe that the present challenges are all caused by the Dutch association and that a break of this association would lead to a sudden spiritual regeneration of the populace which would soon after lead to an increase in efficiency, education, productivity and new economic opportunities you are likely to see it differently.
If your ancestors were enslaved you may find that the association with the country responsible for that action is so odious that you wish to sever ties as soon as possible regardless of the consequences.
On the other hand, even if your ancestors were enslaved you may consider that the same country has condemned slavery and that the present population of the country cannot be held responsible for what happened numerous generations back. You may also consider that much is being done in the “mother” country to combat many other forms of slavery and repression.
You may be looking more to the future than to the past and you may have recognized that all nations, particularly very small ones, need to maintain associations that will in various forms make their governance more viable and financially manageable and that limited research has been presented in this respect to date.
If you are a financial investor you are likely to lean towards maintaining the status quo as much as possible because changes in governance lead to economic insecurity, something not unique to St. Maarten.
On the other hand, if you are a young St. Maartener who has been exposed to the consequences of poor governance and administration and you have witnessed more effective scenarios, you may wish to change the present situation at all costs on the basis that anything should be better than the present.
No matter which view you hold, you may well be interested in understanding the costs of change of association and restructuring and noting the disruption and deficits that occurred in the first decade of country St. Maarten and the debt trap that so many similar jurisdictions suffer from.
The St. Maarten population are approaching this important subject from a large variety of angles. The political leaders seem to have mixed and sometimes contradictory positions. Many positions on the subject of kingdom relations appear to be based on convenient politics.
Future decision-making on the subject would be far superior if the public were to have a greater understanding of all the opportunities and risks and a greater awareness of alternatives. This would be aided by political parties holding more consistent positions that were substantiated by in-depth research into future scenarios. The making of these future scenarios is a difficult subject indeed.
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
After previously shining the light on “Call Centers” as an avenue to diversify the economy, the topic today will surround “Trade Fairs”.
A trade fair and/or exhibition is a congregation of showrooms where different vendors are under one roof. Fair and exhibitions constitute the means of presenting goods and/or services with the intention to attract the visitor’s attention which in turn would be grasping their interest in the goods or products displayed.
St. Maarten is already a major hub throughout the Caribbean region with the plus side being – no duties on our imports. On St. Maarten, we currently import almost everything in large quantities, i.e. supermarket products, hair/beauty products, formal/casual clothing, shoes, etc. Vendors from various departments on St. Maarten can have the opportunity to act as the middleman between the products they already import and their neighbouring islands such as Statia, St. Barths, Anguilla, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, etc., who are already somewhat dependent on St. Maarten.
To include, St. Maarten also consists of a few local manufacturers, e.g. Nectar SXM, Guava berry, Etna, etc. So not only the vendors who import goods can have an opportunity to display their products on display, but local manufacturers will also gain the opportunity to mass-produce their product for wholesale. In turn, this would in fact broaden the reach of a product locally produced on our island, St. Maarten.
An event like this can be best hosted by the Ministry of TEATT [Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication – Ed.] in collaboration with the business community and the Chamber of Commerce. The combination of these departments can send out invitations to the merchants of our neighbouring islands through their respective chamber of commerce.
In regard to funding, and creating an attractive product that is inviting:
A vendor/exhibitor list could be created.
A formal fee could be imposed towards the vendors/exhibitors in order to secure their position in such a fair. With, of course, the government’s aid in such a case.
Our wholesalers can be approached and urged to provide special rates to first-time attendees, which in the future would no longer be applicable.
To perhaps give impetus to this initiative, the first trade fair turnover could be waived from TOT [turnover tax], which would encourage more exhibitors to get a booth.
Some benefits to list:
We stand to see a growth of the economy with additional visitors.
Hotels and restaurants stand to gain more volume.
Taxi drivers would see an increase of movement.
PJIAE [airport] sees an influx of passengers.
Local merchants will acquire higher exposure thus generating more turnover.
Better networking opportunities throughout the Caribbean region.
Further solidifying the “hub” status of St. Maarten.
Growth is needed via new ideologies; a fair and/or exhibition is not impossible to achieve. As mentioned above, we already are one foot in with our major imports and our few local manufacturers, including good relationships with our neighbouring islands. The factor of creating a “trade fair package” to invite those merchants from our neighbouring islands is the second step to take. This Trade Fair can eventually be a yearly event and act as a catalyst of economic activity on our island.
All in all, we are in a position to benefit greatly; a win-win situation, St. Maarten can be in the position to increase inter-island tourism, and merchants from various departments see more business from off-islanders, thus achieving inclusive growth for the country.
Viren V Kotai
Dear Editor,
Thanks to the public that praised me concerning talking about lack of restrooms on both sides of the island, Dutch and French.
Give me three months as the finance minister: l will pay all justice workers and teachers and put all parliamentarians’ and some ministers’ salaries on hold.
Why is St. Maarten sharing its central bank with Curaçao and our justice workers and teachers cannot be paid?
Cuthbert Bannis
Dear Editor,
As residents of the beautiful island of St Maarten, we must understand the impact of our daily actions on the environment. One simple, yet highly effective, practice that we can adopt is recycling. Although it is important, recycling is not yet a widespread habit on our island, and it is time for us to take notice and act.
Recycling has so many benefits for our environment. By recycling, we can reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, conserve valuable natural resources like timber, minerals, and oil, and decrease the release of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Landfills can release toxic chemicals that can contaminate soil and groundwater, but recycling can help to minimize this problem.
Unfortunately, recycling is not yet widespread on our island, and this is largely due to a lack of resources and facilities. Currently, there are only a few recycling centers, and they are not equipped to handle the vast amount of waste produced. This means that much of the waste ends up in landfills or littering the streets.
In addition to the lack of infrastructure, there is also a lack of education and awareness about the importance of recycling. Many of our fellow residents may not understand the impact of recycling or how it works. They may also be hesitant about the time or cost involved in sorting and delivering recyclable materials. These are all obstacles that we need to overcome in order to increase the level of recycling on our island.
So, what can we do to help? It's simple – we need to work together as a community to promote and encourage recycling. This could involve creating new recycling facilities, offering educational programs, and providing incentives for individuals to recycle. The government and local organizations can also collaborate on a comprehensive waste management plan that incorporates the development of recycling facilities and programs.
In conclusion, recycling is a vital environmental practice that we should all support. By working together, we can create a culture of recycling on our island, conserve our precious resources, and leave a cleaner, healthier world for future generations. At the end of the day, it's about showing compassion for our fellow residents and for the planet we call home.
S.M.R.
Initials used at author’s request.
Dear Editor,
I am aware that there are more and more people who realize that not everything that is said by politicians is kosher. on Tuesday, I went to pick up something to eat and I sensed that two of the clients' attention was on me. When they were leaving one of them came over to me and said: "Mr. Russell, you should ask Grisha why Sint Maarten does not want solar energy.” It was not someone who I had spoken to in the past, so I just smiled and he left. That was his observation, but I, in turn, would suggest that now that the DP is in campaign mode, we should ask those who we definitely know could give us the answer to that question, to let us know.
I think that it would be difficult for Wescot, who has served us for so long in several capacities, to deny knowing the real reason Sint Maarten refuses to embark on the use of solar energy even though all the rest of the former islands of the Netherlands Antilles, since 2015/2016 are using solar energy. Everyone who gets G.E.B.E. water and electricity bills knows that the fuel clause is higher than the energy consumption.
Because of the craze of mobile phones, I would dare state that anybody could Google 'Solar Energy' and read the explanation thereof. If G.E.B.E. is a government-owned company and government is there for the people, a people of which 70 percent are living just on or below the poverty line, why no solar energy for Sint Maarten?.
So, yes, I do not think that after so many years of taking advantage of the people, this should continue. I did not hold a conversation with that young man, so I will not venture to ask Grisha that question. I know that very little hides in Sint Maarten and that anytime the schoolchildren say something, it might not be hundred percent correct. But it surely gives credence to the saying, "There is no smoke without fire".
So, summarizing: DP is revived, several veteran politicians were present at the launching, Grisha has joined the links of DP and seems to be playing a leading role. Your editorial and all of this put together leads me to believe that that young man may be on point with his observation.
Russell A. Simmons
