~Audit will be conducted on companies that receive stimulus.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Several employers such as hardware stores, and beauty stores have informed their employees that since they were not allowed to open their stores during the shutdown since the State of Emergency was declared on the Dutch side they will not be paying salaries at the end of April.
Some employees that prefer to stay anonymous said that the owner of Five Star Hardware opened his doors on Friday and was ordered closed by authorities. They said after the store ordered closed their employer informed them that he will not be paying salaries at the end of April because he does not have the money to do since the store could not open its doors throughout the lockdown.
The owner of Beautylicious sent out a voice note to his employees informing them that they must report to work as he would not be accepting any excuses from his workers. The employer made clear that he will not be responsible for the workers that did not show up to work. He said that doctors' offices were able to work from online but he was not able to that therefore he would not be accepting sicknotes either. Beautylyciious opened its doors on Thursday but was ordered closed by the Department of Economic Affairs and was issued a fined for opening since they are not selling essential items. The voice note sent to the employees can be found
The Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion announced that the government will be paying 80% of salaries for all businesses that were not able to operate during the State of Emergency. Irion said that the government will start the payout with the NAF50M deposited on the Central Bank accounts by the Dutch Government. That money is what was owed to St. Maarten since 2018 and 2019.
The Minister of Finance told SMN News that the government has a number of plans in place to ensure that employees are paid. “Those companies that apply for the stimulus will have to comply with the demands of government one being that they will be audited to ensure the money they received as salaries go to their workers, besides those employees that are not paid April 2020 also could lodge a complaint with the government since these mechanisms will be put in place as early as Monday.
