PM to Civil Servants; "You are a part of a special organization; the Government of St. Maarten, and you are doing an important job; Governing for the People of St. Maarten."
The Prime Minister of St. Maarten as Minister of General Affairs held a special appreciation day for the Ministry of General Affairs on Friday at the Brasserie New York in Porto Cupecoy.
Civil Servants from all the Departments falling within the Ministry of General Affairs were given complimentary bus service from the Government Administration Building to Porto Cupecoy where they were treated to an evening of fine dining and dance. During the opening Remarks the PM delivered to her Ministry she commented that the Ministry of General Affairs is a special ministry which, next to the ministry of justice, is actually one of the largest ministries of Government. "It is a ministry that has a diversity of persons, of departments and of cultures and so it is very special that this evening was possible for all of us. We should always find the time to get together and reflect on what it means to be a civil servant," commented the PM.
The Prime Minister, herself a Civil Servant, continued by stating that she knows nothing else in her professional life besides being a civil servant. "Before my political career and being elected in office my years were spent in the civil service. I believe as Civil Servants we are part of the most important organization dedicated to serving the people of St. Maarten. So be proud of your role; whether you are Fire Fighters, whether you are part of Facility Service of Government or give personnel or legal advice you are working for the people of St. Maarten. I want you to recognize your role and your significance in terms of how important you are for Country St. Maarten. We are called to serve the people of St. Maarten and no satisfaction is greater than knowing that."
The Prime Minister also touched on Government’s Plans t be more proactive in the care they extend to its employees; "We have decided that government needs to do more as an employer of so many persons so we are working on such things as extending the maternity leave, giving mothers and fathers the opportunity to spend time in the schools with their children. We are also looking at reducing the cost of living for civil servants and for the community at large."
We need to get together and realize how special St. Maarten is and how special we are as St. Maarteners and the work we do in strengthening the community through our work in the Civil Service. You are a part of a special organization; the Government of St. Maarten, and you are doing an important job; Governing for the People of St. Maarten," concluded the PM.