THE HAGUE–The Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament fired off a long list of questions to State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops on Tuesday as a follow-up to the committee’s visit to St. Eustatius and Saba earlier this month.
Topics about which the committee asked included the high cost of living in general on the two islands; the high prices of Internet, electricity, and airline tickets; the absence of a social minimum; the eradication of poverty; the limitations of health care and banking services; the bureaucracy in the dealings with the National Government Service RCN in Bonaire; and the authority of work permits that still has not been transferred to Saba.
Where it concerns health care, the committee wanted to know whether Knops was aware that the medical centres in St. Eustatius and Saba experience many logistical obstructions when they have to get emergency patients off-island. The committee wants Knops to get in touch with his colleagues and the medical centres on the two islands on this matter.
The committee asked about the treatment of kidney dialysis patients in St. Eustatius and Saba, and the possibilities to establish this care on the islands so they do not have to make the exhausting trip to St. Maarten a few times per week to get dialysed.
There was a question as to whether Knops was willing to cooperate with Saba to realise the much-needed construction of a new nursing home for the elderly and handicapped.
Internet cost is extremely high in St. Eustatius and Saba. The committee mentioned a monthly Internet fee in Saba of US $160. “Do you see possibilities to lower this cost? Is there a provider that can do so? What possibilities do you see to arrange cheap Internet through a [Dutch –Ed.] provider?” The committee pointed out that the Internet is often unstable and asked about ways to improve this.
Electricity is not cheap either on the islands. “What is being done to keep the cost of electricity as low as possible for the people of St. Eustatius and Saba? Is it correct that legislation regarding electricity works for Bonaire, but not so much for St. Eustatius and Saba?”
The committee was shocked to hear during its visit to St. Eustatius that the electricity prices might skyrocket soon if the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate EZK does not keep its earlier promise to subsidise electricity tariffs. Clarity has been sought on this matter, also in light of the cost of living and poverty.
Banking fees are high and the banking services need improving, the committee pointed out. Also, residents of St. Eustatius and Saba should able to make use of Internet banking services of larger Dutch banks such as ABN AMRO, Rabobank and ING.
The committee shares the concerns about the high airfares to and from St. Eustatius and Saba, and the limited number of seats. The committee asked about other airlines besides Winair. “Why does it take so long before new providers get a fair chance at offering flights to St. Eustatius and Saba? Are you willing to adapt the regulations so new providers can have a fair chance?”
The committee wanted to know how much say the Dutch government, as a shareholder of Winair, has in regard to the ticket prices between the Windward Islands. Clarity was also sought on the possibilities to extend the subsidy on the ferry prices between St. Maarten and Saba, considering the highly positive effect of the lower ferry prices on the island’s economy during the closure of the Saba airport for the runway renovation.
Once the Saba harbour has been reconstructed, larger and more vessels will be able to dock, which means that the cost of transport can go down and small cruise ships can also dock. The committee asked about the possibilities to finance a further expansion of the harbour plans to make this possible.
Poverty is a big social problem on the islands. In that regard, the committee again asked Knops whether he was willing to establish a social minimum for the Caribbean Netherlands and what efforts have been made to determine the real magnitude of poverty.
The committee asked for an overview of the cost of living per island and the results for further decision-taking on establishing of a social minimum. The committee wanted to know whether it was true that elderly persons are using their pensions to financially support their children and grandchildren who otherwise cannot survive.
Saba has been trying for a while to have the authority of issuing work permits transferred from the RCN to the local government. So far this has not happened. The committee wants to know why.
“In the past agreements were regularly made between the public entity Saba, the Second Chamber and the State Secretary of Kingdom Relations regarding matters that Saba is better off doing itself instead of via the ministries. Too often these political agreements fail to be implemented because of apparent unwillingness at the ministries.
“An example is the decision about work permits. Why aren’t these agreements with Saba actually implemented? What measures will you take to prevent this kind of unwillingness at the ministries in the future?”
The committee asked whether Knops was familiar with the criticism of Saba that the relatively simple procedure of permits and subsidies takes a long time at the RCN and that these procedures are bogged down by bureaucracy.
“What possibilities are there to give Saba more authority? What measures are you willing to take to prevent and limit unnecessary bureaucracy and to give the authority to take decisions to Saba? What added value has the RCN? Do you share the concerns of many in Saba that this department causes a lot of unnecessary and undesirable bureaucracy?”
The committee further asked about agricultural initiatives in St. Eustatius and Saba, and measures to preserve nature and culture on the islands. The erosion problem and the location of the prison in St. Eustatius were inquired about, as well as the steps to make elections possible on the island and to strengthen the democratic structures.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84670-parliament-asks-many-questions-as-follow-up-to-saba-statia-visit
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