~Civil Servant and PSS Director are being victimized.~
PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin is looking into acquiring a financial injection from Bureau of Telecommunications and Post (BTP) a government-owned company that has their own financial challenges.
The CEO of BTP Anthony Carty attended the soft opening on Wednesday at the former Census and Receivers office that now houses the Postal Services St. Maarten (PSS). While the small gathering with about 30 persons seems promising the future of PSS has a dark cloud hanging over its head.
SMN News learned that the Prime Minister gave instructions to the Supervisory Board to seek the possibility of a financial injection from BTP and also to start the recruitment process of hiring a turn-around manager for PSS who will replace the current manager Antonia Wilson.
It should be noted that BTP has its own financial burdens and struggles and taking monies from one government owned company to sustain another is not a desirable option as BTP is facing its own challenges even in the legal realm.
With regards of the hiring of a turn around manager, one has to wonder if PSS would ever be able to carry the additional costs and moreover one has to question what will happen to Antonia Wilson who served PSS for almost 40 years with a career in Postal Services which began in Saba.
During the soft opening on Wednesday Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin reassured management and staff of PSS that their jobs are guaranteed and that she will assist in reassigning the staff in various post, however, her instructions given to the Supervisory Board is clearly aimed at demoting them from their current position.
It must be noted that the coalition partners are not in agreement with the approach of the Prime Minister in revamping PSS, as it pertains to laying off of staff and approaching a government NV for a financial injection.
Another decision the Prime Minister took was not to reappoint Marisha Richardson in the function of acting head of Personnel Affairs. A function she fulfilled prior to her tenure in the cabinet of the former Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel. The position of acting head of the department became available when Christel Larmonie moved to the Netherlands. SMN News learned that Romeo Marlin was against the reappointment of Richardson to the post and she appointed Erno Labega to that position.
The coalition members of the UD and SMCP continues to state that Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin is acting as if she was one of the biggest “vote getters’ during the February 2018 snap elections, when she only obtained 111 votes, because of the way she is running the country without consulting with them.
