Government wants to move in the Government Building on Pond Island by end of July
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister William Marlin is busy negotiating with SZV and APS who plans to purchase the Government Administration Building on Pond Island for some NAF.45M which will be discounted from the monies government owes the two entities. Marlin said that he will be meeting with one of the major stakeholders this week to further negotiate with them in order for the sale to take place and to also set a timeline in which they must finish the construction and furnishing of the building in order for civil servants to begin occupying the building by the end of July.
Marlin said he wanted to have the building by the end of June but both APS and SZV said they would need more time which will take them up to the end of July. Marlin said that based on the targeted instructions given to the government of St. Maarten regarding the debts owed to SZV and APS, his government took some major decisions, one is to secure the NAF.60M which they expect from the debt relief from the former Netherlands Antilles to go towards the debts owed to SZV and APS while they also intend to save the rents from all the buildings government is renting around Philipsburg to pay off that debt once the civil service that are occupying those buildings vacate them and move into the Government Building on Pond Island. Marlin further explained that while APS and SZV plans to purchase the building and to finish it so that government could rent it from them when it is completed. He said that the intention is for government to buy back the building after some years.
The Prime Minister did not say how long after government will buy back the building but he did indicate that both SZV and APS would make some monies on their investments.
