Is Personally Against the Development of a Tourist Pier in Simpson Bay
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams commended and urged the Simpson Bay Community and all communities on St. Maarten to ask the relevant questions and participate in the development of the country over the weekend. The Prime Minister also stated Government Owned Companies should hold closer dialogue with the shareholder representatives from Government: Government Owned Companies also need to be responsible for the integrity and openness to their shareholder who in turn brings this to the Council of Ministers. I believe that Government Owned Companies are not yet fully on board with this. What you see now is that when matters come out regarding the plans of Government Owned Companies the population looks at Government regarding things that are happening. People are looking at Government asking is going. You have been seeing the situation unfold in Simpson Bay for example where the people of Simpson Bay were presented with development plans. In the case of Simpson Bay where you have, for example, a pier planned outside of the channel of Simpson Bay I can say that this proposal did not come from Government. The people of Simpson Bay and Pelican were in their right to voice their opinion on the plan. I asked myself if the plans are being done in the right sequence. Every plan needs to come to the Council of Ministers and then to Parliament. I personally do not think any pier should come there and that is my personal opinion. We should not look at establishing anything or developing anything without hearing what the people have to say about this. Things have a strange way of coming back to haunt us and that is why we should be very careful what we are presenting to the future development of St. Maarten. I can assure you that this is not a plan from my Government and I encourage all of those who have objections to the development to voice their opinions so that we can take this into considerations. We need to have these discussions in a very open and transparent way as it relates to the development of our country," commented the Prime Minister.
From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister
