Philipsburg: -- A two part signing took place Friday afternoon to make monies available for the installation of five quartermasters. Signing the first half of the agreement was Minister of Constitutional and Interior Affairs Roland Duncan and the representative of USONA Bart Pasman. Immediately after that the Minister signed another agreement with the leader of government William Marlin where he immediately handed over the monies.
In a short address Minister Duncan thanked USONA for providing the funds for the projects which is to set up a department of Protocol as well as the installation of five quartermasters on St. Maarten. The contract between USONA and the Minister was a guarantee of the funding while the agreement signed with the island government and the Minister relates to the execution of the two projects.
Duncan said by signing these agreements in keeping with the mandate of the central government in the benefit of St. Maarten.
Leader of Government William Marlin said the monies received stands at Naf. 1,079,070 for both projects.
He said in the past the central government was the ones to execute these projects but now that St. Maarten is on her way to country status, she must take her own responsibilities. Marlin said the funding is indeed two fold. One the island must hire quartermasters to help build some of the departments.
The departments that would be receiving quartermasters are the finance department (resource management), education department, sector health care, general affairs and spatial planning and environment. He said parts of the monies would also be used to upgrade the protocol department so when St. Maarten becomes country then the level would be upgraded. The intention Marlin said is that each of the above sectors would have their Ministerial work group but the quartermaster he said would assist the chairperson of these work groups with the constitutional development with the development activities.
The island leader said the quartermaster would be tasked with developing policies, as well as implementation plans as well as its execution. The quartermasters would also have to develop communication strategies as well as executing them. They would also have to compile a transition document for the chairpersons of the Ministerial workgroups.
Marlin said the total duration for the execution of the two projects would take between six to eight months.
Marlin further explained that with the upgrading of the protocol section Government Information Service would have to be upgraded by defining the processes and procedures. He said the employees of this department would also have to engage in training where they would have a professional section of protocol for country St. Maarten. The quartermasters he said would have to develop a protocol as well as setting up of a database. The island leader said with the two agreements signed on Friday is geared at helping St. Maarten getting closer to achieve what is necessary for the island to achieve that which is necessary for them to obtain its status. He said these persons and departments in place would assist the island with its transition phases.