PHILIPSBURG:--- In responding to questions posed by SMN News regarding the policy government has in place for subsidies given to foundations. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams confirmed during the weekly Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday that the donation the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) gave to the Simpson Bay Community Council raised several questions.
SCDF reported that they made a donation to the Simpson Bay Community Council due to the jump up that was held in the Simpson Bay area. Wescot Williams said based on what she read in the newspapers several questions came to her mind because she wants to know if SCDF will give donations to the other community councils where carnival jump ups are held.
SCDF has been complaining and also met with parliament when they learnt that their budget for the 2014 carnival celebrations had to be cut due to the country's budget woes. SCDF also murmured about the fact that UTS did not give the foundation any donation this year because of the agreement government has with TELEM for Festival Village. Last year TELEM and SCDF were at loggerheads because SCDF refused to fully comply with the agreement the Government of St. Maarten has with TELEM since that company invested their monies to build the stage inside of Festival Village. It is indeed strange that SCDF lost about $150,000 in funding this year yet they are able to give donations to community councils.
