State Secretary Raymond Knops and Commissioner Marcolino “Mike” Franco at the FD Roosevelt Airport in Statia.
ST. EUSTATIUS–Dutch State Secretary Raymond Knops said on Tuesday that the people of St. Eustatius are very motivated and hard-working when it comes to initiatives such as the housing reconstruction project, new roads and underground cabling, amongst other projects. Knops, who made the statement at a press conference during his visit to the island, said he smelled “concrete in the air,” which he felt is a good sign because this means the planning and paperwork for projects has been completed.
“We are now entering the new phase of executing projects and that is what it’s all about – where we are delivering services for the people of Statia so their lives can be improved.”
He discussed a broad range of issues such as the infrastructure, the connection between the upper and lower town and the opening of Bay Path, amongst other things. The reopening of Bay Path was more than symbolic, as Knops has seen a lot of local people who are working hard to improve the island. “I see a lot of private initiatives by private persons and I am happy to see that local government is dealing with these persons that have taken the initiative with support. A lot of money has been injected into these projects which is benefiting the island … I am very positive about that as well,” Knops said.
He plans to return to Statia during the second week of January 2019. Knops wants to experience the development of what is being done in Statia. The attitude of the Statian people, “is very positive and I am a little bit sad that I have to leave now,” he said.
Commissioner Marcolino “Mike” Franco, who was also at the press conference, said while Knops’ visit to the island had been short, it was fruitful. Franco said Knops is “on the ball.”
The State Secretary visited the island to see the progress of projects being executed. “We visited different projects and we also had a long sit down, where we were discussing what was going on and where we could have some extra help from Holland to make things go a little faster,” Franco said.
As it relates to the repair works to damaged roofs, Franco said the first phase of the project has been completed and extra funds have been provided to start a second phase. The latter will focus on repair of damaged homes, reconstruction and building of structures. Persons who sustained damage during the 2017 hurricanes can no longer register for this programme.
The Commissioner was “very satisfied” with the visit, which enabled Knops to get a first-hand view of the progress of projects and to determine the way forward.
In the meantime, a town hall meeting will be held today, Thursday at the Christine and William Flanders Community Center in Rosemary Lane from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. The people of Statia are urged to attend and hear first-hand about projects that will be embarked upon. One such project is the Airport Terminal. The drawings for this project have been finalised and will be presented during the town hall meeting so that residents can see for themselves what will be constructed. Another topic to be raised at the meeting is the erosion on the cliff, amongst other issues.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/80335-knops-has-fruitful-visit-to-st-eustatius
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