SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The United Sint Maarten (US) party expressed great displeasure in what they called a total disregard for the intelligence, experience, and competence of local professionals in country St. Maarten, the US party said on Wednesday in a press statement.
The US party questioned what they termed a disturbing trend supported by the NA/UP coalition of outsourcing high ranking functions in country St. Maarten.
Prime Minister Jacobs in a recent interview justified the importation of a Dutch national to fill a top position as necessary, despite having local professionals with over 10 years of experience in operational and supervisory positions. Their work experience was deemed by the Prime Minister as insufficient to hold a top managerial position within the company.
The leader of the United St. Maarten Party Mrs. Pamela Gordon-Carty referenced modern day slavery and its many forms as a blue print for what’s taking place on many levels within our professional sectors. “The portrayal and modus operandi of the NA/UP coalition of overlooking our people and publicly denouncing them as inferior is not valid based on the Prime Minister’s explanation,” said Gordon-Carty.
US Party President Mr. Cecil Nicholas questioned how taking a course could supersede years of hands on experience at its highest levels. “If we are financing the education of our students on a university level, costing the country millions every year for the past 40 plus years, then telling them after years of practical experience in operational and supervisory roles that they are unqualified for managerial positions unless they take a course is insulting and disrespectful,” said Nicholas.
The use of the phrase “helicopter view” used by Prime Minister Jacobs to describe the short comings of employees that were over looked for top managerial positions has been echoing throughout the communities causing heated discussions and debates. Based on the legacies left behind by locals like Mr. Julius Lambert at GEBE, Mr. Eugene Holiday at Princes Juliana International Airport, and countless others still performing their duties at the highest levels today.
“My definition of helicopter view is the efficient usage and combination of all the operational lines within an organization to obtain positive long lasting effective results,” said Gordon-Carty.
“Helicopter view is not something that you study for, it’s the application of common sense, knowledge and experience combined in the right proportion to get the desired result. Failing to do so is how country St. Maarten is being governed right now,” added Nicholas.
US party’s firm position is that the NA/UP coalition has cast a dark demotivating cloud over the country with its governing style of undermining the population with bad decisions supported by weak explanations filled with short comings.
“Celebrating the excellence of your brightest and rewarding them their earned positions within the hierarchy of the country’s institutions is how you create examples of what’s possible, and build a strong nation,” said Nicholas.
“Our people are always being overlooked and subjected to extreme measures, continuing to succeed shows their resilience, and that resilience should be rewarded and protected not over looked with prejudice as is the case under this current government,” added Gordon- Carty.
Gordon- Carty championed and put in place the Pamela Policy “locals first” in 2019. The policy to date has never been applied. Its objective was to address the undermining of the local work force through specific guidelines when filling vacancies in the job market. The motivation for the policy came from the outcries of the population that their qualifications were being overlooked in favor of imported labour.
“This is really sad to see that right in our faces opportunities to sit in executive positions are being denied to our most qualified. The country and its opportunities are open to everyone except our own,” continued Gordon-Carty.
The US party pointed out a number of executive positions that could have easily be filled by “our people” namely, Marco Meulenman CFO SMMC; Hans van de Velde CEO Winair; Bob Post CFO airport; H. Ryan Vogels President Integrity chamber and Keith de Jong chairman General audit chamber, to name a few.
“This NA/UP coalition has done more to deprive our people in four years than any governing coalition has done in the past 50 years, their record continues to speak for itself. Failing to plan is planning to fail. This is just a slap in the face of Sint Maarten people! Wrong, wrong, wrong,” concluded Gordon - Carty.
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