Contractors, sub-contractors sends petition to COM and Parliament.

A call for not permitting our economy and community to get weakened, but to strengthen
it.

Dear Members of Parliament and Council of Ministers,

We, the undersigned Contractors/Subcontractors/Suppliers/Consultants/Architects of Sint Maarten, kindly request your attention and consideration to oblige Contracting Authorities to carefully consider using public funds or other acquired funds for contracting contractors to execute works in Sint Maarten.

We represent a particularly important part of the St. Maarten economy and society and provide the cornerstones for our hospitality industry. Together with our employees, policymakers, parliament, and government, we have an obligation to collaboratively prepare St. Maarten for the future. And together, we must protect what we have built since our independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

With the support of the Irma Recovery Fund, we have built and cemented significant changes in St. Maarten. With the NRPB initiating and overseeing these changes, we see a procedural approach, driven by World Bank policies, in the designs of the Term of References and the tender procedure. This approach is designed for generic larger economies and can have devastating consequences for our small island economy without considering the specific local conditions.

Our concerns and requests are outlined as follows:

A. The intention of the recovery fund
Most recovery funds aim to support the economic and social development of the receiving countries. The ultimate goal is to enable the receiving countries such as Sint Maarten to become self-sufficient and sustainably shape the future. So, involving local parties/businesses is of paramount importance when executing projects. The locals will gain more experience and knowledge to be more resilient.

B. Competition and market access
We firmly request to ensure that the contracting authorities proceed with a procurement process that promotes fair competition, represents the St. Maarten standards & conditions, and is based on favoring contractors that work with locally based companies. And if necessary be strict about not permitting any work method that will not fit into the local community.

C. Capable human resource
It is a fact that local qualified human resources on the island of Sint Maarten are more familiar with the local legislation, the local circumstances, and logistics. Personnel coming from abroad will take more time to prepare and understand the local standards/logistics and regulations/laws. That is why our local human resources must be preferred over personnel from abroad to proceed with the execution of projects funded with special funds.

D. Lack of Experience and Proven History
It is also a fact that contractors from outside Sint Maarten have often no experience in Sint Maarten. We as local companies with a large record in the Caribbean especially in Sint Maarten, have successfully executed and completed various projects.

E. Local Economic Impact
It is also a fact that awarding contracts to companies outside Sint Maarten with no bond with the island of Sint Maarten could negatively impact the local economy. The local companies are committed to employing and using local labor and suppliers, so the Sint Maarten economy will always benefit tremendously. Throughout the Caribbean, we have seen the disruptive effect that these companies can have on the local economies.

Again, it is our God-given task and responsibility, as the unified business community, Parliament, and Government to steer St. Maarten away from these highly threatening developments.

F. Community Engagement and Support
Moreover, we want to stress that the local businesses have a strong engagement with and support from the local community. Local businesses have been involved in different community projects and will continue to do so in the future to foster community goodwill and participation. With the arrival of big companies from outside Sint Maarten (especially far east), the playing field will be disturbed, local businesses cannot compete with very low prices and will subsequently leave the disturbed market including the consequences.

G. Protection of local markets
We emphasize that the Government should protect the market of small islands such as Sint Maarten This can be done by taking measures and designing policies to safeguard the economies of small island nations. These measures are necessary due to the unique vulnerabilities these islands face, including limited resources, high dependency on imports, and susceptibility to external economic shocks.

H. Transparency and Ethical Considerations
We emphasize the importance of ethical considerations when awarding contracts to contractors outside of Sint Maarten. We as local businesses will be committed to adhering to all ethical standards and will keep being committed during the execution of the Works. Disturbing the local market by allowing other standard/practices will have far-reaching consequences for Sint Maarten as a whole.

Support: We the undersigned believe that these measures are essential to ensure that the local companies are being protected and that this will serve the best interests of our community and the interests of Sint Maarten.

Attached you will find the signatures of the Contractors, Subcontractors, Consultants, Architects and suppliers of Sint Maarten who support this petition.

We hope you will seriously consider our requests and take the necessary steps to ensure a fair and transparent awarding process. We are available to present and defend this petition and discuss the possible consequences as outlined in this document.

Sincerely,

Contractors /Subcontractors/ Suppliers/Consultants/Architects in Sint Maarten