SAINT-MARTIN (MARIGOT) - The Interministerial Committee for Overseas Territories (CIOM) met on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Paris, under the authority of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who validated 72 concrete measures to improve the daily lives of overseas territories.
On the sidelines of the Grand Case festival, Friday, July 21, President Louis MUSSINGTON, Prefect Vincent BERTON and Parliamentarians Annick PETRUS and Frantz GUMBS, held a press conference to announce and comment on these decisions.
Among the challenges of this CIOM, the recognition of the specificities of territories, cooperation, the fight against the high cost of living and poor housing, economic recovery and job creation, support for youth and mobility, ecological transition, and food sovereignty, have been the subject of all the attention of the government.
In addition to the measures applicable in all overseas territories and which also benefit our territory, Saint-Martin is doing well with the obtaining of 15 measures essential to the development of the territory out of 41 initial proposals.
Of the 72 measures of the CIOM, 20 directly concern Saint-Martin. President Louis MUSSINGTON and his team were particularly involved in the preparation of the CIOM and worked closely with the parliamentarians and the Minister Delegate Jean-François CARENCO, who was very attentive to the expectations of the community of Saint-Martin.
The territorial administration has put together a file duly substantiated by the needs of the community and particularly urgent and immediate issues.
While Jean-François CARENCO has just handed over to Philippe VIGIER (Modem), the new Minister Delegate for Overseas, President Louis MUSSINGTON wishes to salute "his support at all times and the confidence given to Saint-Martin".
Thus, among the measures of the CIOM, the National Agency for the Improvement of Housing (ANAH) will extend its action to Saint-Martin and will provide its engineering support to the Collectivite, in view of the tense situation of the housing stock on the territory as desired by President MUSSINGTON, the organization Action Logement will extend its actions to Saint-Martin and will accompany the Collectivite in the construction of social housing.
Action Logement will operate in the overseas territories with a lending capacity of €780 million, at attractive rates, for the period 2023-2027. The CIOM also supported the construction of the new Territorial Fire and Rescue Service of Saint-Martin (STIS), a strong expectation of the Collectivite and its president at the service of the safety of Saint-Martinois.
Saint-Martin has obtained the recognition of the English-speaking Creole Saint-Martinois as a regional language. A major step forward for the Collectivite and its elected officials who have been working for several years for this national recognition.
The President welcomed this decision which will finally allow Saint-Martinois to be recognized through their mother tongue. In the field of professional experience, the CIOM has decided to promote excellence courses through the public service but also the Cadre d'avenir program which will be extended to Saint-Martin from 2023, as already engaged by the Collectivite.
The aim will be to initiate innovative mechanisms for the training of middle and senior managers, in both the public and private sectors, and to promote the talents and careers of overseas territories. In the social field, the government announced a €150 million accelerated development plan for medico-social services for adults and children with disabilities, in order to alleviate the difficulties of access to housing, employment, rights, education and training.
The installation of a territorial committee for emergency medical aid, permanent care and medical transport (COTAMUPS) was also announced for Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
In terms of urban planning, the Collectivite of Saint-Martin will benefit from a Public Interest Group (GIP) integrating all land jurisdictions, in order to solve the difficulties of land title and to accompany the occupants on the way to the regularization of their title deed.
The cadastres must first be brought into compliance. The 50 geometric steps agencies will be able to benefit from the Barnier Fund and thus work to protect populations and property exposed to climate change. The Barbier Fund will subsidize the shelter and relocation of populations vulnerable to natural hazards on the 50 pas du roi strip.
In terms of the environment, a large-scale international initiative will be launched in the coming months to mobilize Caribbean and international partners in the fight against sargassum.
This action follows the national anti-Sargassum plan 2022-2025, which mobilized €36 million of public funds in the overseas territories, it is in line with the 2019 international conference and is carried out with the support of the Guadeloupe Region, which is piloting the Interreg Sarg'coop project, with a view to participating in the United Nations Ocean Conference to be held in Nice in 2025.
A partnership agreement will be signed between Saint-Martin and the Conservatoire du Littoral as part of a reinforced dialogue and joint actions. The Collectivite of Saint-Martin has also obtained the opportunity to create a casino to stimulate tourism and the local economy.
The substantive work provided by President Louis MUSSINGTON, Deputy Frantz GUMBS and Senator Annick PETRUS, all the territorial elected representatives, the Director General of Services Albert HOLL and his administrative teams, has made it possible to obtain concrete progress.
The challenge for the Collectivite is now to monitor their implementation and allow Saint-Martin to move forward on the path of sustainable development. For President Louis MUSSINGTON, "this is a very positive assessment that includes flagship measures for the economy of the territory and its inhabitants, for which it is appropriate to thank the teams who mobilized and to which must be added the creation of a full-fledged prefecture for Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, announced on the sidelines of the CIOM by the Minister of the Interior and Overseas, Gérald DARMANIN, and which represents a significant step forward in terms of administrative autonomy".
View comments
Hide comments