PHILIPSBURG:--- Parliament has been asked in an indirect way to give the Government of St. Maarten some time to get its feet wet, but events in rapid succession are demanding Parliament's attention, and government is called to respond with equal urgency.
How else can one explain the sudden outburst by the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) in the press of Saturday, January 17th?
To understand the anomaly of this and put this matter in perspective, we need to understand the organization of the institution BTP.
This institution is created by law to execute a public task. There is a special BTP law that sets out BTP's organization, its structure, its obligations.
The BTP is considered an independent organization. The only interference by government or a minister is what is afforded the minister in the same BTP law. At least that is how it is supposed to be!
However, the Minister(s) is/are politically responsible for the institution towards Parliament.
Yet, BTP comes out swinging at "government" and makes it abundantly clear that they do so with the blessings of the TEATT Minister, the honorable Claret Conner.
The Minister of Finance of St. Maarten has in the past not concealed his concern with respect to this organization, as it is of significance for the budget of the country. And not only the Minister of Finance.
Now the government (read the Minister of Finance) is publicly being admonished by the BTP to make information public to stem the flow of allegations of wrongdoings(?) Again, with the blessings of his colleague minister. Could these 2 ministers not have corroborated internally?
The way BTP has sought to defend its purchase of a building in Philipsburg, in my opinion truly leaves the Minister of Finance no other choice but to make public the report to which BTP refers in its statement.
It also leaves the minister of Finance no choice but to explain to Parliament and the people of St. Maarten how the hierarchy structure of BTP functions.
I eagerly await the Finance Minister's reaction to this sudden outburst by BTP.
And maybe something from his colleague minister as well?
Statement by the Leader of the Democratic Party
