PHILIPSBURG: --- Members of Parliament fired several questions at the Prime Minister and Management of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) on Wednesday.
Management of PJIAE shared their plan with parliament on the plans they have in place for the continued reconstruction of the PJIAE terminal building.
MP Christophe Emmanuel questioned whether management is really waiting on government to provide a letter before the World Bank releases funds to them. He asked if the World Bank or the European Investment Bank released any funds prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emmanuel said he wants to know if PJIAE or the World Bank is waiting on any letter or if they are busy renegotiating with COGAN in order to grant the Schiphol Group the Project Management of PJIAE.
Emmanuel said he wants the Chief Executive Officer Brian Mingo to tell parliament if these renegotiations are taking place and if not he should explain to parliament why he along with a representative from the Schiphol Group traveled to Texas in February 2020 and if they did he also wants Mingo to inform parliament about the purpose of that meeting.
Other MPs also questioned the management team about the plans they have in place for other businesses that do business at PJIAE. MP Buncamper asked specifically about the plans in place to assist the national carrier WINAIR.
MP Brison asked management if they thought of putting package in place for the handlers with specific conditions. Brison said he believes that management should waive the rents these handlers pay to the airport and that money he said should go towards employees who stand losing their jobs during this ‘lockdown’ period.
Brison also asked about the number of external advisors and consultants management of PJIAE are hiring while there is a lockdown and operations at PJIAE basically ceased. He also asked if PJIAE stands ready to execute the arrival of aircrafts with aid to St. Maarten, and if PJIAE can accommodate medivacs that may have to take non COVID patients out of St. Maarten for medical treatment.
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs made clear that all obligations on behalf of the Government of St. Maarten regarding the reconstruction. Jacobs said that PJIAE is waiting the Kingdom Council to provide them with a letter which she said should be forthcoming this week. Jacobs also informed Parliament that despite the lockdown, PJIAE reconstruction will continue if everything is finalized. She said all Government projects those handled by NRB and the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation will continue during the COVID-19 lockdown.
PJIAE Brian Mingo said that the project costs $107M, $50M from the World Bank and $50M for the EIB while the $7M came from PJIAE reserves.
Mingo further stated that PJIAE has two packages in place for the COVID-19 lockdown, one for a lockdown for a period of two months and the other for six months.
PJIAE will return to parliament next week to provide all other answers to questions posed by Members of Parliament.
