PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams, the founding member of the St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) Richelda Emanuel and Director of SMDF Keith Franca signed a funding agreement on Tuesday.
Wescot Williams said the SMDF was established in 2013 when AMFO was shutting down leaving several NGOs in the air. Since the establishment of the new funding agency the Government of St. Maarten injected some 1.6 million guilders into the fund that managed to disburse monies to nine NGOs in the year 2013.
Franca said the SMDF submitted a two year plan for financing from government. He said for the first part of 2014 some 13 NGO's received funding: the ICAN Foundation, UJIMA, Meals on Wheels, After School programs and the St. Peters Community Council are among the recipients.
Franca said very soon SMDF will be receiving applicants from institutions (NGOs) that need funding, however these NGOs would have to meet the criteria when filling in their applications.
