Philipsburg:--- The management of Emerald Funeral Home located on the Dutch side of the island is still in shock with the press release issued by the Prefecture of St. Martin halting their operation on the French side of the island.On Monday, the Prefecture issued a press statement stating that Emerald and Royal Funeral Homes located on the Dutch side of the island are no longer authorized to conduct business on the French side of the island.
The press release from the Prefecture states that Prefect of Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin informs the general public of the creation of two funeral homes in the collectivity of Saint-Martin. The companies were created and authorized according to the applicable prescribed standards, which compliance has given rise to the issuance of a prefectural approval.
As a result, bereaved families are now invited to refer to the following companies:
- SARL Inter Funeral Services, situated at the corner of rue de Galisbay and rue Fichot N° 13 – 97150 Saint-Martin, under number 10-971-SXM-003 entitled to carry out the following activities: management and use of funeral rooms, transportation of the bodies after coffining, and availability of staff, objects and services necessary for the funerals, burials, exhumations and cremations.
- Les Pompes Funèbres de Saint-Martin situated at Immeuble les Pins - 90/95 rue de Galisbay in Marigot – Saint-Martin under number 10-971-SXM-002 entitled to carry out all activities pertaining to funerals.
The temporary approval granted to the companies Triple M.N.V. (doing business as Royal Funeral Home) and Heavenly Song N.V. (doing business as Emerald Funeral Home) in order to carry out funeral services on an emergency basis on the territory of Saint-Martin is null and void.
International transportations of bodies from Saint-Martin to Sint-Maarten will only be authorized for a burial or cremation in that territory, without possible return of the deceased's belongings, in accordance with international sanitary agreements in force.
The management of Emerald Funeral Home said they intend to request a meeting with the Prefet to discuss the matter since they are French citizens who also have a registered company on the French side of the island. The member of the management team said he felt they were treated unfairly and that the Prefet did not consider the investments they made when the French side had no funeral home.
Orlando Vanterpool said Emerald had to invest monies to purchase a van and other equipments to meet the French requirements when transporting dead bodies, all of which is of no use to the company if they are not able to do business on the French side. Vanterpool said Emerald also hired two persons from the French side to be able to provide effective services to the community. He said now that they are not able to operate the two employees would also have to be laid off.
Vanterpool said Emerald had to begin working from one day to the next to provide much needed services on the French side when they had no funeral home and the least they were expecting is proper notification from the Prefecture.
Vanterpool also explained that Emerald has a program for persons to pay for their burial expenses before they pass away. He said already a number of people have paid off for their burial and he would like to know if these people will be denied their funeral. Furthermore, he said people have a right as to where and who they want to perform the last rights for their loved ones, all of which was snatched away by the decision of the Prefet.
