Philipsburg: -----Commissioner of ROB Theo Heyliger showed up to the weekly press briefing on Wednesday to answer questions that the media had for him regarding his portfolios. Asked what he would do differently at the sector ROB where it is said there are a number of irregularities. Heyliger said the new executive council has to discuss what changes have to be made. He said the new executive council intends to do things collectively in all departments. However, he did say there are plans to make some changes. Heyliger said he visited the department on Wednesday morning outlining some of the priorities of the new government.One of those priorities will be regarding personnel since several rules and procedures have been changed in last two years and these new regulations would now have to be incorporated. Heyliger said persons requesting building permits would now have to wait until the request has been published and approved before it is issued. With this new procedure everyone would know who would be building next door to them and their concerns would also be considered. The commissioner said that a briefing will be given to the executive council in very near future.
The commissioner said very soon the executive council would be receiving an advice regarding the shortage of personnel in that department. He said it is necessary for the department to have people with judicial background working in the department because of the new rules and laws now that St. Maarten is going to become country. Heyliger said the department is also working on its island wide zoning plan something he said is paid for by the Dutch government. He said they are also looking in to re-diverting some of the monies in the SEI to the zoning of the island.
The commissioner also acknowledged that there is an ongoing investigation taking place at the department by SOAB. Heyliger said he did not receive any information on the investigation since SOAB normally sends their report directly to the governor.
