In the HERALD of Thursday August 25, 2016 we read that EX-MINISTER (Ted Richardson) is believed to be one of the TOP CANDIDATES for the SXM AIRPORT CEO POSITION. In Saturday August 20, 2016th Daily Herald we read that Alex Dijkhoffz is one of three new persons to be appointed to the board of the PRINCES JULIANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PJIA) HOLDING N.V. In the Herald of August 13, 2016, we read that Rolando Brison is appointed Tourism Authority Director. Question: What do all of these sudden and swift appointments/announcements have in common??? Answer: MP Silvio Matser and his uncertain political future due to the September 26, 2016 Parliamentary elections. The PJIA Holding N.V. is the 100% Shareholder of cash-rich PJIA E (Operating) N.V. The PJIAH N.V. is wholly owned by the Government (People) of St. Maarten. The companies that own the Airport, the Sea port and the Tele port are all owned by the Government of St. Maarten and fall under the responsibilities of the Minister of TEATT (Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications). The Ministry of TEATT was designated to MP Silvio Matser, as his prize for jumping off the UPP ship and forming the coalition of 8. So now just about a month before the September elections we read: 1) Rolando Brison being proposed for STA Director (TOURISM money pot), 2) Alex Dijkhoffz being proposed for PJIAH Board member
(a Board that approves the spending of the SXM-Airport money pot) and now 3) Ted Richardson (with how much airport management experience, you say??) being proposed for the CEO position of the SXM (PJIA) AIRPORT, where the airport money pot actually lives. The one constant connecting the dots between all three persons is MP Silvio Matser. On the Lady Grace 102.7FM Morning show on Wednesday August 24, 2016, Mr. Matser says he “happened” to be in the Government building (on a SATURDAY!! Yeah right!) and was impromptu invited to witness the signing of a one year employment contract for Brison. On the same radio program Matser called out an “older person for blasting this young man”. He also said: Give the youth of St. Maarten chance to grow. So I, Michael Ferrier, the older person referred to here-above, has the following suggestions to MP Silvio Matser and all those that are in a position to DO THE RIGHT THING FOR ST. MAARTEN: Instead of insisting to appoint as Director of the STA a young man who has at least ONE huge blemish on his record, go with another candidate for the STA job, a St. Maarten/St. Martin born and bred bright, articulate, dynamic LOCAL Travel Industry Professional with an impeccable reputation: Mr. TERRANCE REY. And instead of recycling Ted Richardson, who I am sure would forever be in great debt (or is it indebted) to Mr. Matser for getting him that lucrative Airport job, why not push either Michel (Mikey) HYMAN (presently the Acting Director PJIA Operations Division), or Anastacio (Stacio) BAKER (presently PJIA Manager Quality Assurance), both intelligent, articulate and dynamic young local professionals WITH PLENTY OF ACTUAL AIRPORT EXPERIENCE, into the position of Airport Director? Then there is Alex Dijkhoffz, he worked for me, so I have the skinny on him. He also worked for, or with a nice old Canadian man who ended up back in his native Canada with a stroke after losing hundreds of thousands of US dollars. I am not sure if there is a connection there.
Michael J. Ferrier.
