Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--There was "nothing earth-shattering" in Governor Eugene Holiday's speech about government's plans for the 2015-2016 parliamentary year, but it was heartening to see that the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet is "making use of the goodwill and leadership" created by the former government in the region and further afield, said Democratic Party ((DP)) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams on Monday.
The former prime minister and her fraction's advisor Emil Lee called on government at their bi-weekly press briefing to continue with the National Development Plan (N(DP)) and were happy to note that government, based on the governor's speech, was still keeping the plan for which a lot of time and money has already been invested.
While the governor's speech was "short on specific," Wescot-Williams hopes to gain more insight into the plans for tax reform, when Finance Minister Martin Hassink is in Parliament this week to meet with Parliament's Permanent Committee for Finance.
(DP) has "ideas for changes" to the tax system, beginning with the often talked about simplification of the tax system, she said.
The party plans to put emphasis on an "economic reform agenda" that is necessary and that is needed to make tax reform workable.
Wescot-Williams expressed satisfaction that Parliament's Permanent Committee for Finance will finally handle the 2013 annual accounts of government-owned companies this week. She is eager now for the discussion on the 2014 annual reports.
On the matter of a stalled urgent meeting of Parliament about the landfill and the waste-to-energy plant, the MP said she has learnt that Infrastructure Minister Claret Connor has recovered from his illness that prevented the meeting last week. She is, however, miffed to have heard that the minister is away with representatives of utilities company GEBE on a trip related to the waste-to-energy plant.
"Why the secrecy? Why couldn't the minister tell Parliament about the trip and ask for the meeting to be held off until he received more information, the MP said.
Lee commended the French side on the launch of its recent tourism promotion, titled "Smile at Life". He said it was "good to see" the French side "moving forward with promotion of their side of the island.
He decried the stagnation of the Dutch side's efforts and pinned it to the non-functioning of St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA), the juggling of the vision of five tourism ministers in the past five years, and non-payment of promotion companies.
Lee said tourism wholesalers have indicated to him that they have seen "a sizable decrease of business to the Dutch side" while there is movement to the French side. He said the Dutch side has "no new buzz" compared to other surrounding islands.
