Philipsburg:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told reporters on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that she received a letter from Curacao's Minister of Finance George Jamaloodin informing her that she and the Minister of Finance of St. Maarten among others will be held responsible for the bonds issued by the Central Bank for the St. Maarten Harbour Holding Company. The Prime Minister said that St. Maarten's Governor Eugene Holiday also received such letter.Wescot Williams said that the Minister of Finance of Curacao is attempting to hold Ministers on St. Maarten responsible but in her opinion the Minister could not be serious. She said St. Maarten's Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto already responded to the letters they received.
However, Wescot Williams said she believes that St. Maarten should use this opportunity to resolve the issues surrounding the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten once and for all. She said the Central Bank already made a presentation to the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten and they compiled a report for government based on the request that was submitted to them some months ago. The Prime Minister said St. Maarten also requested blueprints for the Central Bank of St. Maarten but that document will depend on St. Maarten's choice of currency. She said she is of the opinion that the island's leaders would have to take some decisions on how to move forward.
Minister of Justice Roland Duncan also added his views on the letter sent by Jamaloodin to St. Maarten's Ministers. Minister Duncan said it was because of these reasons he refused to participate with Curacao and Holland in the ICT project for the Justice Ministry. He said had he agreed then there would have been another joint organization which would have been based in Curacao with St. Maarten being a shareholder that has no say or decision making power. The Justice Minister gave another example of the UTS/St. Maarten shareholder organization in which St. Maarten has no say. He said recently he had to vote against an appointment since Curacao refused to appoint any of the two persons St. Maarten suggested as directors. They said they don't want any spy in their kitchen.
The Minister said he is planning to take radical actions with the BES island since it is impossible for them to think that St. Maarten will accept any and everything. He said if the other partners want to play by the rules then they would have to play by all the rules. He said right now there is no law that authorizes St. Maarten to hold prisoners from Saba and Statia. He also said that police officers from those islands who want to come to St. Maarten armed will soon have to get the necessary permits before they can escort prisoners to Bonaire via St. Maarten. The Justice Minister made clear that if they want to be strict then they must respect all the rules.
