PM: "Considering that every sector is interconnected we need to have our focus on Sustainable Development and the four pillars that support it"
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams has again highlighted cooperation as one of the main focuses moving forward into the coming months with regards to projects and programs of Government. She especially stressed stakeholder involvement when discussing the projects and programs of Government. "My view and my vision as Prime Minister for this Country, and also the view and vision for the Democratic Party is that when we are discussing new programs and projects for St. Maarten we all need to sit together and see the implications associated with moving this country forward. When you have the pressure in getting the Budget ready for example you do not have the time to focus on matters that need full attention. One of these items is the public health of St. Maarten and especially considering the costs associated to that. Some time ago the Government studied and evaluated the introduction of a National Health Insurance for St. Maarten. Firstly our health system is very fragmented at the moment and in addition to that there is a large percentage of the population uninsured. It has actually been calculated that 30%, or one third of the population, has no health coverage. We also worked on looking at the cost, and being better able to control the cost, of healthcare itself on the island. These are things that we, as Government, should discuss with our stakeholders. If we do not do this people will be too critical of it and it will not work. And therefore the vision of myself as Prime Minister, and the Democratic Party of St. Maarten is about wide scale community discussions on various matters. We need to be able to inform the public ahead of time. When items are being criticized by the St. Maarten population they are right in doing so because as a Government we need to think in 2013 for what we need to do in 2015. The vision of the Democratic Party is that this country has grown and we need to be constantly on the ball. We need to move forward for St. Maarten in the direction this country needs to move to," emphasized the Prime Minister.
Similarly the Prime Minister expressed that it is also her view, and that of the DP, that the main focus regarding the future of St. Maarten should rest on the four pillars of Sustainable Development; "Considering that every sector is interconnected we need to have our focus on Sustainable Development and the four pillars that support it. These four pillars that I want to focus on are Economy, the need to grow economically to provide the jobs and income so necessary for the island; also we cannot look at anything we do on St. Maarten without balancing the environment and taking our natural resources into consideration; thirdly we need to look at the social development of St. Maarten; and number four we need to focus on proper Governance. And it is keeping this in mind and focusing on these four pillars of Sustainable Development that we can build the St. Maarten we all want to see," emphasized the Prime Minister.
From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister