After having read an article in the Today’s newspaper of Wednesday, August 24, 2011 where the St. Maarten Chamber called on citizens to become whistleblowers I would like to comment on this issue.
First of all I would like to commend the Chamber on one hand for appealing to citizens for their involvement in assisting Government for the building of St. Maarten by informing the relevant authorities about any mal-practices by any business or any illegal activities that they may come across.
However on the other hand it is my belief that our Government must not run from their responsibilities by putting the citizens to execute the job that Government must carry out that sometimes even become unsafe for citizens when this is done.
Government in the first place must set the first example by them establishing a proper control unit for the inspection of businesses that does not comply with their legal requirements. This unit is not functioning properly and therefore the Chamber has deemed it necessary to include citizens to take up the responsibility that Government has to carry out.
This for me is unacceptable merely because in my opinion Government is clearly abdicating its responsibility. The buck should stop with our elected officials who must first set the example and become the first whistleblowers by carrying out their responsibility of having a control unit for businesses that are violating the laws of the land.
If citizens are confident that Government is serious about addressing this important matter then I believe that citizens would be more than willing to take a risk by joining along in the battle to ensure that all business are within the margins of the laws. This can only be to the benefit of the Government and its people who will then have sufficient revenues to be able to carry out its responsibilities in a more efficient and expeditious manner.
I am sure this is what all citizens are crying out for. Knowing that their demands and/or needs will be meet.
Jeffrey Richardson