Leader of the US Party: Agriculture should be owned and managed by our own | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - Leader of the United Sint Maarten (US) Party Pamela Gordon-Carty lamented on Sunday that we should not be giving away our patrimony. The Former Minister of VSA (Public Health, Social Development and Labour) referenced an article published in the Daily Herald on May 24th 2022, “proposing a floating farm in the great salt pond and an aquarium in the Simson Bay Lagoon; I was surprised to see the magnitude of the projects and the suggestion that it will be funded by the Dutch government or APS.”

An Agriculture plan as an alternate source of income with details on its execution was outlined in a book named Recovery Plan written by Mrs. Gordon-Carty and made available to government in August 2021. I requested an audience with the governments and governors of St. Maarten, Curacao and Aruba to present them with a copy of the book, and to discuss the plan that can provide employment for the masses; by utilizing the hills for farming and producing product that can generate funds for the coffers of government putting country St. Maarten in a very strong financial position. I was well received by the government and Governor of Curacao, and we had extensive discussion, but to date I haven’t received a response from the St. Maarten government or Governor.

“Here we are today and government is entertaining plans that will benefit a minority at the expense of the majority. As usual it’s not about the plan, but about who presents the plan. I wrote a book detailing a plan formulated with local farmers taking the lead and government playing a minimal role so as to not have the country entangled in more conditions that seem to fall directly in the laps of the people,” said Gordon- Carty.

“St Maarten we need to stop giving away our patrimony and start recognizing our own and their potential to do great things if given the tools and opportunity.”

“Our lands are our patrimony and it must not be given away, for the sake of a project that can otherwise be spear headed by government at a lessor cost. The great salt pond, I believe can be revived to generate for the country on a larger scale and until proven otherwise, it should remain untouched. Any project that concerns itself with the Simpson Bay lagoon should be made public in its entirety so that the environmental impact and the social economic benefits are transparent and readily available for review by the population,” continued Gordon-Carty.

“I’m for all plans that makes St. Maarten better as long as the people are directly and positively impacted in all levels. Agriculture if done in an organized and proper manner will benefit the majority, in my book ‘Financial, Economic and Social Recovery Plan – Part 1’ it is outlined perfectly. I believe that we can sustain ourselves once agriculture is taken seriously and incorporated into our economic structure. St. Maarten people if given the opportunity can become producers instead of solely being consumers,” said Gordon - Carty.