~ TEATT Minister stopped moving process, even though cost-cutting measures are necessary. ~
PHILIPSBURG: --- Some 12 civil servants from the Division of Inspection ECYS are at home for the past 12 days as they await the moving of their offices from the Brooks Tower Building to the BTP building.
SMN News learned that the civil servants are not able to provide optimal services from their homes and they do not know when the moving will be completed even though they must vacate the Brooks Tower building by the end of the month.
According to the information provided to SMN News, the Head of Facilities Rick Martina started the moving process after he was instructed by the Council of Ministers to move all government offices from rental properties to available spaces in Government-owned buildings. This decision was taken by the Council of Ministers in order to cut costs for the government of St. Maarten.
SMN News contacted Head of the Division of Inspections Dorothee Illis Laurence for a comment on the challenges the division faces, Ilis- Laurence confirmed that the division is currently being relocated and that the challenges are beyond the control of the Division.
Martina started to move the Division of Inspections (ECYS) over two weeks ago to the fourth floor of the BTP Building on E. C Cannegieter Street, but that process halted when the Minister of TEATT Ludmilla de Weever allegedly said that the BTP building falls under her ministry and she was not informed of the planned move. “Boxes containing all files and materials were packed within a space of one week to accommodate the move while the furniture remains in Brooks Tower Building, while the owners need the office space to repair for their incoming tenant,” said one civil servant that spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity.
In an invited comment Martina confirmed the relocation started and was halted abruptly, he said though a meeting was held with the entire Council of Ministers and that the matter was resolved. Martina admitted that the Minister of TEATT was not officially informed that the Ministry of ECYS would have taken up the fourth floor of the BTP building that was empty. The head of facilities further explained that the fourth floor of the BTP Building still does not have electricity and that is also being worked on. He said that the moving of the division is expected to be completed within the very near future.
SMN News also understands that the Division of Examinations that handles the Naturalization process also has to move by the end of March to April 1st to the building that housed the former First Caribbean Bank on Cannegieter Street. That location is still under repairs and it is not yet confirmed if the moving will take place at the scheduled time.
It should also be noted that while the department is scheduled to move from its current location which will be done in the very near future persons that have paid to take the Dutch examinations for the naturalization process have been complaining that they paid for their examinations since 2018/2019 and to date their they are not being called or emailed with the dates they are scheduled to take the examination.
