SAINT-MARTIN (MARIGOT) – President of the Collectivite of French Saint-Martin Daniel Gibbs on Saturday evening released a statement with respect to the fiscal and economic measures that would be put in place and offered to the business community of Saint-Martin.
President Gibbs statement is as follows:
Dear economic actors, business leaders, Saint Martiners,
Once again, our territory is facing an unprecedented crisis. Following hurricane Irma in September 2017, it is indeed a global health crisis that is putting the lives of our businesses and our jobs at risk.
First of all, I wanted to assure you of the support of all the elected representatives of the Territorial Council of Saint Martin.
It took us several days of active work with my teams to identify the margin we have to support you as effectively as possible.
In addition to the measures announced by the French Government, our only objective is to give you the means to maintain your cash flow to avoid as much as possible business from closings and to protect jobs.
This new episode is a challenge for our Collectivité as for all the Regions of France. We are gradually finding out what are the modalities of application of national measures.
Considering our specific status, we are doing our outmost to ensure the eligibility of our territory so that you can benefit from all the emergency measures put in place by the State and the Collectivité.
The situation therefore requires us to sail by sight but that does not in any way affect our commitment to act for you.
Therefore, as a first step, I will soon propose to our assembly a series of tax measures in order to postpone the payment deadlines for direct and indirect taxes for businesses in difficulty.
Consequently, we expect the payment of the TGCA and the corporate tax to be postponed until December 31, 2020.
The payment of the patents’ contribution will be postponed to 2021.
The details of these measures along with a form to be completed for the businesses concerned will be available on the Collectivité’s website as of next Monday.
Secondly, Saint-Martin businesses will be able to benefit from the Solidarity Fund. Aid of 1,500 euros will thus be paid to very small businesses and the self-employed.
Because we want the greatest number of you to benefit from this emergency aid, I decided, with my team, to multiply by 10 the participation of the Collectivité provided for by the ordinance of the President of the Republic.
Thus, the relief fund for Saint-Martin will amount to 800,000 € including 600,000 € of the Collectivité’s contribution already available from our budget.
Over 500 companies will be able to benefit from this aid. Of course, the Collectivité is ready to abound beyond this forecast, if necessary.
I wanted the collective effort to be at the level of the crisis we are going through and the difficulties you are encountering. In a few days, I will therefore propose to our assembly to set up an emergency fund of 5 million euros to support you, in particular to replenish cashflow allowing you to bounce back after the end of the crisis.
Like all the Regions of France, we are still awaiting answers as to the methods of financial intervention by each Collectivités.
We will therefore detail in a few days the steps to take to benefit from this exceptional fund.
Finally, we have taken all measures to accelerate the payment of the majority of the suppliers and service providers of the Collectivité.
Our services and those of the Public Treasury have been mobilized since the beginning of this crisis to make the payments we can honor.
My dear friends, it is thus almost 6 million euros, at first, which come to respond to the emergency that we are experiencing collectively.
Let us not forget that we still have many challenges to overcome in order to improve our infrastructure, our public spaces and our living environment.
We must therefore keep the public investment to the maximum capacity that is necessary for the development of our economy.
Of course, we will have to go further, together.
The successive crises that we have experienced in recent years, in recent months, force us to rethink the objectives that we share for the economic development of Saint Martin.
I plan to take this time to reflect and consult with the main representatives of the economic world.
Rest assured that my team and I are fully committed to safeguarding our economy.
Beyond the measures necessary to support our businesses, our collective duty is to make every effort to overcome this crisis which concerns us all.
I know the commitment of the people mobilized daily to resolve it, in particular the health personnel and administrative personnel who are entirely devoted to the health and administrative preparation of the territory.
I salute their full commitment to the service of the inhabitants of Saint Martin and the involvement of those of our fellow citizens who have taken the measure of the instructions to be followed to prevent the spread of the virus.
Family support, everyone’s good citizenship and everyone’s full responsibility must be at the heart of this collective fight.
I therefore ask each of you to follow confinement and barrier measures with the greatest rigor.
They are currently our only defense against the Coronavirus.
This fight is a collective fight, it is together that we will win it.
I thank you.
Source: Souliga Newsday https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com-k2&view=item&id=30601:president-gibbs-presents-plan-to-prevent-business-closure-and-to-protect-jobs&Itemid=451
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