PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever reacted to an article published in one of the local newspapers on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers weekly press briefing. Minister de Weever said there are several issues at SZV that is not published. One issue is how the financial and spending of SZV sickness funds are being used. He said some months ago he asked the supervisory board of SZV to conduct an investigation as to how the sickness funds are being spent. The Minister said he heard that some people go to Colombia and spend eight to nine months while others go there to shop and bring back items to St. Maarten to be sold. This he said is done on backs of SZV.
The Minister further explained that when he got that the information he asked for an investigation in order to see how the sickness funds are being managed since government is working closely with SZV. The Minister made clear that all of his departments have to show how they manage their budget and SZV is no exception.
Minister de Weever also announced that the cessentia funds have over 10 million guilders in reserve and it is not in the red. He said the figures shown is the 2013 figures but one must know that the SZV paid out 1.4 million guilders to the Pelican workers that lost their jobs. Minister de Weever said due to his intervention government was able to resolve the issue of the Pelican workers. Besides that the Minister said that there are a number of issues playing now due to the political campaign. Minister de Weever said he himself was a victim of the six months contract while he was working for government. He said at the time he felt it was political victimization as well as personal experience for him.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams also stated that while the people does not know all that government does, she wants to make it clear that the Government of St. Maarten made themselves a guarantor for the Pelican workers while the court cases were ongoing to ensure that the Pelican workers who were laid off be paid while the court cases were taking place.
