Something must be done to get locals in top positions on St. Maarten — Minister Gibson.

If it’s not done by Evolution then it will be done by Revolution, the trend has to change.

PHILIPSBURG:— Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr. congratulated the Dutch Minister of Interior and Foreign Affairs for appointing Chris Johnson as the Dutch representative on St. Maarten. Gibson also congratulated Johnson who will be taking up his new position shortly.
However, the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of St. Maarten did not mingle with words when he said that things on St. Maarten must change either by evolution to place locals St. Maarteners in top positions such as hotel managers, having a local as prosecutor on St. Maarten or even a local judge in the Court of First Instance or Courts of Appeal. He said nothing was not done in past to ensure that locals get top positions to work for their country because someone did not have a plan for such.
Gibson further told members of the media at the weekly Council of Ministers press briefing that if it’s not done by evolution then it will be done by revolution because right now a change is needed.
The Minister said that while tourism is the country’s main industry and there are a number of resorts/hotels on the island, not one of them have locals as managers or general managers, all of these positions are taken up by foreigners. Besides that he said its time that locals gets the opportunity to function as a public prosecutor or judge. Gibson said already at the Government owned companies there are locals in management positions and if government is able to find qualified people to manage government owned companies he is quite sure that the other institutions could find qualified people to work in management positions in hotels, the prosecutor’s office and the Court house.
He further explained that the Dutch made a step in the right direction when they appointed Chris Johnson, the son of Will Johnson as the Dutch representative on St. Maarten. “Johnson is one of us he is from the Windward Islands, so I am proud but I do believe that every young person that has a dream must be given the opportunity in their own country to do so.
The Minister said if anyone travels to the neighboring island such as St. Kitts, Dominica and other Caribbean islands they will see persons from those countries working as prosecutors, hotel managers and general managers as well as judges.
He called on the locals to take up their role in order to secure these positions because when the foreigners come to St. Maarten for four years they take what they have earned with them back to their country of origin while the locals will invest their monies here which would in turn boost the economy of St. Maarten.

Source: SMN News http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/22428-something-must-be-done-to-get-locals-in-top-positions-on-st-maarten-minister-gibson.html