SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – Member of Parliament (MP) Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday says he is fed-up and angry at the notion that the management of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) is reportedly finalizing the employment of yet another Dutch national in a management position.
Calling the airport management, a “national embarrassment”, MP Emmanuel questioned how Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Mingo and his carefully constructed close circle, is allowed to get away with such practices under the nose of the government of St. Maarten.
MP Emmanuel said the airport management continues to add salt to the wound by “signaling to our people” that they are not worth his trouble to appoint or train for positions “in their country at their airport.” The MP disclosed that sources have indicated that Mingo is about to hire a Dutch individual currently employed at another government owned company, TelEm.
He questioned when and where this vacant position was put out to the public and who applied for this position. This questioned, he stressed, will be directed towards the Prime Minister since the public cannot expect any answers from “The kingdom” known as the airport. If the aforementioned person is hired, it would be the third from TelEm, none of which are local. “Where is the fairness and transparency here,” the MP asked.
“Not only are we sitting here almost 7 years later waiting for the airport to be rebuilt, the airport management and by extension the government, pours salt in our wound and just dumps our people on the side of the road,” Emmanuel said. “The recovery process was meant to be a beacon of hope, a symbol of resilience and unity in the face of adversity. Yet, it pains me to say that we are far from achieving that vision.
“So many local people have been targeted and fired by that one man. It is amazing the things that the government lets him get away with at PJIA. It’s embarrassing and shameful what is happening to our people at PJIA. A management filled with Dutch people because apparently that’s the only type Mingo feels comfortable around,” the MP said.
He said local individuals who have dedicated many years of their lives to the airport have been let go without explanation, replaced by foreign nationals. “This has caused distress and frustrations at PJIA, making us question the motivations behind these decisions. These actions have raised serious concerns about employment discrimination, and they have left many of our people feeling marginalized and underrepresented in their own country,” MP Emmanuel said.
“Perhaps what's equally distressing is the apparent lack of oversight in the airport's management. It appears that the management is making critical decisions without transparency or accountability. This leaves us with more questions than answers, and it is our responsibility to demand transparency, fairness, and accountability in every aspect of our government,” he added.
As if these issues were not enough, the reconstruction and repair of our airport, initially estimated to take a few years, have been delayed for nearly seven years. “The costs associated with this reconstruction have skyrocketed, now almost three times more than the initial estimates. It's a shocking and unacceptable situation that we find ourselves in, and the community deserves an explanation and airport management have to go. First they tell us the hall is opening November 1. Now it is moved to mid-November for unknown reasons and they want to celebrate this with a soft-opening. Of what exactly? Management and government should be ashamed of itself to actually try to pull that over on the people,” Emmanuel said.
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