PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, the largest private sector representative on the island, was concerned to read in a recent article by the Public Administration Integrity Committee that the corruption on St. Maarten would be measured against regional standards. SHTA strongly feels that there should only be one standard for corruption across the board. i.e. "The abuse of entrusted power for private gain; acts committed at a high level of government that distort policies or the central functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public good; manipulation of policies, instruction and rules of procedure in the allocation of resources and financing by political decision makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status and wealth." – Transparency International.
Further to SHTA's meeting with the Integrity Committee in December 2013, they are of the opinion that the definition of integrity as per Transparency International i.e. "Behaviors and actions consistent with a set of moral or ethical principles and standards, embraced by individuals as well as institutions, that create a barrier to corruption", should be the operative measuring stick for determining whether the current system is adequate. It is a well-known fact that when integrity is low, it is always the population that suffers as limited resources on the island are allocated based on personal gain instead of community benefit. We may just want to approach each and every allegation as factual in order to determine whether the right checks and balances are in place that will guarantee resilience to corruption.
Though it is certainly a step in the right direction for the Integrity Committee to have started their investigation into public and private sector, it is important to note that as a growing country we need to have the proper international standards in order to be perceived as an ethical society and to be able to attract additional investment to the country.
SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information, please contact the SHTA office: 542-0108, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our website www.shta.com.