State Secretary Raymond Knops.
THE HAGUE–Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Raymond Knops is reportedly open to the idea of having an open discussion with the St. Maarten Parliament.
According to a reliable source close to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations BZK, the State Secretary is most willing to engage in a dialogue with the people’s representatives to discuss some of the topics that are highly important to St. Maarten.
Knops reportedly responded positively to the suggestion that St. Maarten Member of Parliament (MP) Claude “Chacho” Peterson of the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP) made on Tuesday to invite the State Secretary to Parliament at his earliest convenience.
Peterson, supported by independent MP Franklin Meyers and United Democrats (UD) MP Jules James, proposed to put on the agenda in a meeting with Knops the liquidity support to St. Maarten, the evaluation of the performance of the Trust Fund managed by the World Bank and its projects, the National Recovery Programme Bureau (NRPB) and the relations within the Kingdom, in particular where it concerns the relationship between St. Maarten and the Netherlands.
It is no secret that at this moment there are tensions between St. Maarten and the Netherlands, the financing of the reconstruction of Princess Juliana International Airport being one of the points of contention, as well as the management of public finances and the introduction of the Integrity Chamber.
A meeting between Knops and the St. Maarten Parliament could shed some light on where parties stand on these issues. This meeting would also meet the desire of the people to receive first-hand information on these critical topics and allow them to hear and witness the live discussion between the State Secretary and Parliament.
The Daily Herald has understood that Knops will be visiting St. Maarten shortly.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/90996-knops-willing-to-meet-st-maarten-parliament
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