Today September 10, 2019, we are gathered in this chamber for the opening of Sint Maarten’s tenth parliamentary year 2019-2020. To mark the opening of our tenth parliamentary year I have the privilege of addressing you as prescribed by our Constitution. Today I do so amid trying and challenging times.
Madame Chairlady, Members of Parliament,
As we embark on this tenth parliamentary year amid a cloud of political uncertainty, we – all of us – ought to ask ourselves one basic question: What can we do to secure a safe and prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren?
Let us, based on that question, use this moment to standstill and reflect on where we are and on the direction of our country.
And as you do so as parliamentarians and ministers, you ought to remind yourselves that people across our country look to you to work together to prioritize the policies that matter most to them. Matters that will improve their wellbeing and secure the wellbeing of their children and their children’s children. They look to you to support and take legislative decisions to strengthen our economy, to secure the functioning of our financial system, to improve the resilience of our infrastructure and to protect our environment. They look to you to focus on employment, housing, education, health, and security policies.
Addressing these issues in a serious and sustainable way is particularly
pressing given our vulnerability for the effects of climate change as experienced with the impact of hurricane Irma and as we can see in the Bahamas;
pressing, taking into account the risks associated with the slowing global economy amid escalating trade disputes; and
pressing, in the face of the threat to our financial system by criminals engaged in money laundering and terrorist financing.
It is against this backdrop imperative that parliament and government
economy
The rehabilitation of the airport terminal;
The facilitation of the construction, renovation and upgrade of hotels;
The stimulation of Small Business Recovery and development;
The rehabilitation of education facilities;
The repair of homes and strengthening of our social systems;
The care for the environment;
The tackling of the effects of climate change;
The implementation of sustainable waste management;
The strengthening of our disaster preparedness and management; and
The strengthening of our public finances and financial management
disaster preparedness and management
intensify collaboration
The joining of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) in September of 2018, to secure short-term liquidity if Sint Maarten is hit by a hurricane or other natural disaster; and
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands ensuring cooperation on disaster risk management if assistance is required for the coordination of emergency response and relief efforts. The government is as a result pursuing becoming an associate member of CDEMA and will be hosting its conference at the end of this year.
National Recovery Program Bureau
Education Master Plan.
emergency income support and training project
housing
waste management
Improve the management of waste streams at the landfill; and
Introduce recycling, including the removal of metals and other recyclable material from the island.
climate change
building code
Spatial Development Strategy
safety and security
The upgrading of the facilities of the Police stations in Philipsburg, Simpson Bay and Cole bay;
The upgrading of the Immigration offices and systems;
Recruitment to reinforce the Coastguard; and
The renovation of the Point Blanche Prison facilities as well as the need for a new prison.
Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce,
combat money laundering and financing of terrorism
Penal Code
Penal Procedure Code
Civil Code,
significant budget and liquidity deficits.
you are advised to reflect on the basic question: What can we do to secure a safe and prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren? And as you review and debate the business of our people - in these complex and challenging times - it is essential to note that the policy choices you make in this chamber will shape the lives and determine the opportunities of current and future generations of Sint Maarteners.
The people of Sint Maarten therefore depend and look to their parliamentarians and government to work together for them and to represent their interests.
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