Philipsburg:--- The projector coordinator of the Brooks Tower Accord extension process Tiara Hasselhoef in an interview with SMN News said that at least 82% of the persons who received a BTA permit the first time registered for the extension.Hasselhoef said so far 3,549 persons out of the 4,300 already registered while registration is ongoing and will last until September 30th at the Salvation Army building. However, the BTA team is waiting on the Lt. Governor to sign over 1000 of the permits before they can be distributed. Hasselhoef said they have sent over 1000 of these permits for signature but she does not have any idea as to why they were not signed and if the elections had anything to do with the delay. Already some 671 of the BTA extension permits were given out and arrangements are now being made by the Minister of Justice and the government of country St. Maarten to see how country St. Maarten would continue the process.
Hasselhoef said while the signatures they are awaiting is delaying the entire process they also did not get any permit from those persons who were to register via sole proprietorship. The project director said just about 100 people applied for sole proprietorship and she also has no knowledge as to why economic affairs did not proceed with the process. Hasselhoef said they started late with the sole proprietorship process and when the applicants saw the delay they got people or employers to sign for them. She said the economic affairs falls under local government and even if they know what causes the delay they are not allowed to speak about it.
Asked if the change of government will affect the BTA process, Hasselhoef said the Minister did not make a policy or agreement with political parties instead her agreement is with St. Maarten and the federal government. She said the BTA process has to go on for a period of time based on the agreement and those persons who received the first permit has until November 2 to file for their extension. She said while the island government can change the arrangement with economic affairs and the departments locally they would have to respect the agreement reached between the federal government and St. Maarten.
