~ Jacobs says agreements should be honoured ~
PHILIPSBURG–The Kingdom Council of Ministers wants to discuss scrapping the NAf. 21.3 million liquidity support for St. Maarten for 2018, but Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs believes that the Dutch Government should honour its agreement to provide the support and provide it as soon as possible as St. Maarten needs it.
Jacobs told reporters on Wednesday that the Kingdom Council of Ministers has placed on the agenda of its meeting set for this Friday, the scrapping of the 2018 request and possibly deciding on the request for 2019.
Jacobs said although questions related to the liquidity support for 2018 and 2019 had been “asked several times, we have not received the liquidity support to date.”
She said since St. Maarten’s Minister Plenipotentiary is a direct family member of the late Mavis Brooks-Salmon, whose funeral service is this Saturday, he would not be able to attend the Kingdom Council of Ministers meeting to represent St. Maarten. Last minute arrangements were being made for Jacobs to attend instead. However, it would not have been feasible with flights and other issues. Jacobs said she is also “personally tied” to Brooks-Salmon and also wanted to attend the funeral.
Since this is a “very heavy” agenda point, Jacobs sent a letter to Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops on Tuesday evening “respectfully requesting” that the agenda point on liquidity support for St. Maarten be deferred until the next Kingdom Council of Ministers’ meeting so that St. Maarten can amply defend its position.
She also requested in the letter, that “the agreements that we have made pertaining to the liquidity support of 2018 in the amount of 21.3 million guilders was already approved by the Kingdom Council of Ministers and St. Maarten requests that this be disbursed as soon as possible seeing our liquidity position. This would allow the incoming government… which is being formed at the moment, time to handle this matter and formulate an official response in collaboration with other stakeholders.”
It was also suggested that if it is necessary, parties can meet prior to the next Kingdom Council of Ministers meeting, which is scheduled for February 14.
Jacobs said as soon as government receives information and updates it will inform the community as government “pledges to remain open and transparent in our dealings that relate to the people of St. Maarten.”
She stressed that the liquidity support for 2018 is “definitely needed as soon as possible” and appreciating living up to agreements, St. Maarten expects its Kingdom partners will live up to the agreements that have already been approved so that parties can “move forward discussing 2019 and further before or at the next Kingdom Council of Ministers (meeting).”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.facebook.com/heraldsxm/photos/a.1251060041587810/3383598915000568/?type=3&theater
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