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“I have no problem with Civil Servants being on Boards of Government-owned companies or Foundations, however, I do have a problem how these boards function.” --- Emmanuel.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel says that he does not have a problem with Civil Servants being on boards of government-owned companies and or foundations when he was asked by SMN News about the progress he has made with the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation
(SMHDF) and GEBE. The Minister has requested the government appointed board members of SMHDF to make their positions available which to date has not been done.
Minister Emmanuel further stated that the problem he has is with the functioning of these boards. He said soon the situation at SMHDF and GEBE will be a thing of the past as he is taking the necessary steps to resolve the issues with the members of both SMHDF board and GEBE Supervisory Board.
Another topic the Minister touched on when he was asked for comment was the parking lot at Kimsha Beach. Emmanuel said as it is now there is only a slab of concrete at the location while his vision is to have an investor build a four-floor parking lot. That investor he said will make back their monies by renting areas out to potential business persons, one being Dino. The commercial areas that will be rented out will be on the first floor and the side of the parking garage. He said those businesses will be equipped with sanitary and other facilities, while the government of St. Maarten will be making monies through the paid parking. Emmanuel said at the moment he is waiting on the rendition from the architect. He said that an extra area has to be developed since that was the arrangement he made with the dive shop. The Minister said when the project begins then the Dive Shop owner would have to put his merchandise in a container and afterward he will receive between 60 to 70 square meters of land for their business.