UPDATE: Knops wants St. Maarten Parliament to take a stand | THE DAILY HERALD

State Secretary Raymond Knops (right) in conversation with St. Maarten Minister Plenipotentiary Jorien Wuite (left) and Chairman of the Second Chamber’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations Jan Paternotte after Wednesday’s debate. (Suzanne Koelega photo)

 

THE HAGUE–Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops made an urgent plea to the St. Maarten Parliament to take a formal stand on the Dutch government’s offer to assist Princess Juliana International Airport with US $100 million.

  He said during a debate in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday that the motions of no-confidence against St. Maarten Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin and Minister Stuart Johnson are holding hostage much-needed progress in this area.

  “We are in a sort of status quo, and we can’t move forward with our offer that is on the table as long as there is no clarity as to the support in the St. Maarten Parliament for the government in power,” he told members of the Second Chamber’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations.

  Knops pointed out that the airport and harbour, as the ports of entry, are the island’s lifeline, also in regard to tourism on which its economy depends for more than 70 per cent. “It is a no-brainer that these have to be in order,” he said. He said that it was also no “higher mathematics” to repair an airport, as this is done elsewhere in the world too.

  The Dutch government has offered the St. Maarten government $100 million to invest in the airport, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma. Half of the amount would come as a low-interest loan from the European Investment Bank and the other half as a grant from the Trust Fund funded by the Dutch government and managed by the World Bank. “I have as yet to see a better offer,” Knops said.

  The plan to invest in the airport, which was prepared in consultation with the World Bank and the Trust Fund Steering Group, has been ready since November last year. The Royal Schiphol Group is ready to assist. The St. Maarten government has already approved the Dutch offer, which came with a number of conditions such as good governance, a position in the airport board and management, and a correct, effective manner of spending the funds.

  Knops was critical of the St. Maarten Parliament, which has not taken a formal position on the Dutch offer. Instead, the Parliament presented two motions of no-confidence which, according to Knops, are based on arguments against the proposal for the airport financing.

  “Parliament has not taken a formal position and I find that disappointing. I really don’t understand how a responsible politician focuses on a motion of no-confidence while the country is in dire straits. You can disagree with something, but with this approach, the Parliament is taking away the prospect of the people, of a country, to rebuild.”

  Knops urged the St. Maarten Parliament several times during Wednesday’s debate to take an official position on the Dutch offer. “Every day without a decision is a day lost,” he said, hinting that by its actions the parliament slowed down the reconstruction efforts.

  He explained that the motions have caused a “blockade” and that things were “on hold” as long as it was not clear to the Dutch government that the current Romeo-Marlin government indeed enjoys majority support in the St. Maarten Parliament.

  Knops emphasised that the Netherlands was not the one delaying the investment in the airport. He also dismissed opinions of some in St. Maarten that the Netherlands wanted to take over things. “That is a wild tale. We have no hidden agenda. We want to honestly help and that is why we made that offer,” he said.

  Member of the Second Chamber Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) said he was “saddened” by the developments in the St. Maarten Parliament. “Parliament is frustrating the investments in the airport, it commits obstruction. In the meantime, a number of politicians are accusing us of colonialism,” he said.

  Chris van Dam of the Christian Democratic Party CDA did not go into the specific case of the airport financing, but he did have a thing or two to say about the accusations of colonialism. “I hear the word colonialism often from people of whom I ask myself whether they have the best interest of the people at heart, people who don’t have a roof over their head.”

  Antje Diertens of the Democratic Party D66 did not venture into the area of colonialism or the Dutch offer for the airport financing. She sought attention for the mental health of the hurricane victims and asked, as she has done before, about psychological assistance for people to help them cope with the trauma.

  Diertens wanted to know whether the reports were true that the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) did not receive financial assistance from the Trust Fund. Referring to Jeroen Pauw’s documentary that was broadcast on Dutch TV on Monday, she called it “very distressing” that no funds have been awarded to the MHF while the organisation gets so many requests for help from the people.

  Knops said he was very much in favour of making use of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have proven to be solid, in the recovery phase. He promised to look into it, but added that the St. Maarten government also had to approve.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85201-knops-wants-st-maarten-parliament-to-take-a-stand-2

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