~PM has no control: Funds from the World Bank Trust Fund seemingly not coming thru.~
PHILIPSBURG:---A few months ago the Minister of VROMI Miklos Gitterson told Parliament that a total of 500 plus persons requested assistance with the repairs of their roofs. Thus far Government thru its own funds had to secure financing to fix 7 roofs to the tune of Naf. 350.000
Within the World Bank Trust Fund, US$ 7M has been earmarked for the repair of roofs. Due to the lengthy procedure which is administered by the World Bank, the Government of St. Maarten, represented by the Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin and the Interim Recovery Committee has not been able to get things moving as the World Bank is taking forever to process the request of the Government of St. Maarten.
MP William Marlin highlighted in a motion that was presented to Parliament that the Prime Minister and her team the Interim Recovery Committee has been incompetent in getting this project moving despite the fact that the public tender for the Roof repairs has been published on the Government website.
On the Government website 14 homes have been placed on a public tender in November 2018 and up to date the Romeo Marlin has not been successful in getting this project moving and the entire Roof Repair project on a whole is not moving forward with a clear solution in assisting the residents of St. Maarten.
The fact that the Prime Minister and her team are not getting things moving is a shame noting to the fact that we are 17 months away since the passing of Hurricane Irma and 4 months away from the start of the hurricane season 2019. Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin does not have the people of St. Maarten at heart and their poor living conditions due to the damages sustained to their homes.
Citizens have been complaining to SMN News that they were visited by several persons from Government for the last year ranging in personnel from VROMI, VSA and others and to date still, nothing has been done to assist these residents namely senior citizens who cannot afford the repairs.
SMN News will continue to monitor the progress of the various vital projects to the people of St. Maarten such as roof repairs, repairs of hurricane shelters and the various government facilities.