Source: ED -dagblad page 11: 25th September 2019
PHILIPSBURG:---- On 25th September 2019 VVD- Second Chamber Andre Bosman criticizes the progress of the Rebuilding funds for St.Maarten. Surprisingly in his statement he now criticizes the St.Maarten Political culture; basically even going so far as to leaning towards criticizing the St.Maarten culture and competence.
The Dutch Council of Ministers has also voiced their concerns about a change of Government. What again is a coincidence is that PM Romeo Marlin was at a UN meeting with members of the Dutch Council of Ministers, PM of Aruba and Curacao and his majesty King Willem Alexander delegation.
The imploding of the government was not the fault of St. Maarten perse or even the new majority of the incoming government/opposition. St.Maarten has on many occasions warned the Netherlands that the World Bank approach is to complex and carries a lot of “red-tape”. A more simple control mechanism could have been created by the Hague, and a hands-on approach would of surely speed up the help of rebuilding vital areas, schools, roofless homes, cleanup action such as lagoon wrecks.
Because of the limited resources used up by government for the World Bank procedure monster with priceless consultants and reports we see alarming reports with the further deteriorating of tourism projects to revitalize the St.Maarten Economy ; a drop of double-digit Cruise Business reported by the president Michell Paige of 25-30% in 2020 is not good and is just the beginning. Where is our hands-on approach and focus what made us successful as a Tourism destination?
If MP Andre Bosman looked more closely a change should have been made to speed up projects from the World Bank and re-evaluate by the Netherlands: 2 years of delaying repairs of the simple of homes for the people of St. Maarten and the needy is false hope. But of course, blame St. Maarten again. How come other local organizations did their part successfully. Where is the competence from MP Andre Bosman to structurally come with solutions in this partnership?
We should be very careful not to “bad talk” our own to outsiders because what is happening now the same Kingdom partners will use this against us. There is no proof that the PM Romeo Marlin did this but as mentioned it is a coincidence that she blamed outside forces in her resignation speech and if she did she should be held accountable by the new majority of government. These type of baseless claims start endless “undermining” investigations in the St.Maarten community by our same Kingdom Partner the Netherlands.
