Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs on March 13 met with the National Development Plan program. The meeting was attended by Department Head of BAK, Mr. Marc Arnold, Senior Policy Advisor & National Development Program Coordinator, Mrs. Okama Ekpe Brook, Program Manager & Millennium Development Goals Coordinator Ms. Loekie Morales.
During the meeting, Prime Minister was updated on the status of the project Building a Nation: St. Maarten National Development Plan and Institutional Strengthening. He was also informed about the ongoing process to recommence the community based and thematic dialogues as well as the role of the different groups that constitute the institutional framework such as the National Development Plan Steering Committee, the National Development Plan Working Group, and the Inter Ministerial Working Group.
The strategy prepared by the BAK NDP Team is a plan of approach which includes table top discussions with relevant stakeholders, bilateral meetings in the preparation of position papers that will form the basis for the upcoming dialogues, presentations to the Secretaries General, Council of Ministers and Parliament. The thematic dialogues will take place in April and recommence after the carnival break. A consultant has been hired and will come on board in April to support efforts of the BAK NDP Team towards ensuring a quality Vision and National Development Plan.
The National Development Plan Steering Committee met on Thursday March 26th from 3:30-4:45PM to deliberate on the plan of approach and their role in it.
The PM noted that the government is making all efforts to engage with willing individuals, organizations and institutions for the collective development of the country and was pleased that the team had provided a constructive process that will provide guidance for the long term development of our country.
Details of the project can be found on this website www.sintmaartengov.org and click on the link special campaigns. You can email the Team at nationaldevelopment@sintmaartengov.org or check out our faceboook page: St. Maarten National Development Plan.
