MARIGOT:--- Members of the BTP and several heavy equipment owners began gathering in the Agrement area around 7am Wednesday morning to start a protest action to get the attention of those responsible both locally and in the State of France for the economic situation facing St. Martin. President of the BTP Association Didier Lake told reporters that the BTP has been negotiating with those in political power for the past three years (since 2011) and to date nothing has been done to remove the economic dilemma the island is facing. Lake said the BTP members notified various elected persons about the danger St. Martin is facing especially local contractors. Lake said despite their pleas none of the elected officials on St. Martin or the State took action to eliminate the problems they are facing. "Today we are saying to those in power that we are ready to die but we will die fighting. Today the job sector is down to zero and this is not because there is no work. The problem is that local contractors and heavy equipment workers are left out, while those responsible are actually stifling major projects that could provide work for us. There are several projects that have to begin but local contractors are being pushed around because no one can provide them with documentation pertaining to these projects. Besides that, the State decided to implement certain laws here on St. Martin that are hindering contractors from moving forward. They want to implement la loi sur l'eau on St. Martin without considering the specifics of the island. The State closed their eyes on St. Martin for years and now that the people of this island are on their knees financially they found these laws profitable to them."
Lake further stated that the State of France is playing a cat and mouse game with St. Martin and according to him the State is doing everything possible to hinder the progress of Article 74 which St. Martin acquired in 2007. "With Article 74 St. Martin was supposed to get certain competencies as well as additional finances. We got the paperwork for these competencies but the monies never came. Monies for St. Martin are being sent to other French territories in order for them to shine while St. Martin is suffering like soldier crabs crawling among each other."
The BPT President said that certain projects were stopped because of the la loi sur l'eau and contractors simply cannot move forward with their projects because of this particular law. He said that even SEMSAMAR cannot support the law because it's costing them too much.
Lake said those responsible for St. Martin's situation would have to find a way and sit around the table with them and give them written decisions as to what will be done to enhance the construction sector on St. Martin. "We are no longer taking verbal answers from anyone, we have done so many times before and that has not taken us anywhere." Lake said local contractors are being discriminated against because all of the larger jobs are given to foreign companies. He said there is a big project that has to take place at the Grand Case Airport and it will be done by a foreign company, the same he says goes for the project that is undertaken by EDF. Lake explained that the bidding for the project for EDF was done overseas and the same company that is constructing the causeway over Simpson Bay lagoon will be doing the work for EDF. He said St. Martin has competent people and materials to undertake these projects but the local contractors are being discriminated against. Lake said that those responsible are using the larger outside companies to pre-finance the projects because the larger companies would give them long term credit. Lake further stated that the French law clearly states that no one can discriminate because one person is financially better than the other. He said every company has the right to bid on projects but that opportunity is being denied. He said large companies from France are coming to St. Martin and they are dropping the price by more than half so that the local contractors cannot compete.
Frank Viotty also of BTP told reporters that they held a meeting with the Collectivity last week and nothing came out of it. He said the BTP has several grievances that have to be addressed and that was the main reason they chose to do a march (manifestation). Some of the vehicles had posters on them stating "We are St. Martiners, we are not sub-citizens, we are not beggars."
As the BTP and its members mobilized themselves not far from the Agrement round-a-bout, several gendarmes and Territorial Police were all over Marigot monitoring and preparing for the manifestation. The protestors left their location a bit late where they drove through the back road in front of Semsamar and were stopped in front of La Vie en Rose as they intended to proceed further up that street. SMN News learnt later that the road the protestors were using was not on the permit. The protesters also tried to meet with officials of the Prefecture of St. Martin when they were stopped.
Some members of BTP met with Prefet Philippe Chopin and they told reporters that they secured a signed document with eleven points. The protesters then stopped their action just after 2:30pm on Wednesday.
Click here to view more photos of the BTP protest on Wednesday morning.