People of St. Maarten,
Each year brings about new and recurring themes, issues upon which to focus our thoughts and endeavors.
As we are about to enter the New Year, I see enough reasons for a sober reflection and a critical analysis.
Today, St. Maarten stands at a cross road, and is faced with immense challenges as we stand at the threshold of becoming a country.
This is not the first time that we face challenges, as a resilient people. In the past we have demonstrated our strength.
If we stand united as a nation we can overcome these challenges.
We must therefore make fundamental choices in a responsible, collective and consultative manner with the objective of better serving the needs of our citizens.
Permit me to limit myself to mentioning a number of these aspects which I consider very essential at this time.
Becoming Country
Sint Maarten’s strive for constitutional change, to become a country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has demanded intense negotiations during 2008, resulting in the conclusions of the Round Table Conference of December 15th 2008. Sint Maarten must convince partners in the kingdom, in no uncertain terms, that we are capable of becoming a country within the Kingdom.
We have the ability to take on the responsibilities of a country, but we must prepare and equip ourselves to meet these demands.
On November 24, 2008, the Central Government and the island territories of Curaçao and Sint Maarten agreed to initiate a phased dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles as of July 1, 2009.
We are now entering a phase whereby tasks and duties of the Central Government will be transferred to the islands.
The decentralization and the transferring of these tasks and duties to St. Maarten present us with many challenges in the areas of human, financial and technical resources. To overcome these hurdles we, as a people, must change the way we think and the way we behave.
St. Maarten must further acquire the necessary support of all partners in the Kingdom and must invest in its people.
Fighting Crime
Community safety and the tackling of crime remains another principal concern of the State Secretary of Kingdom Relations, the Minister of Justice, the Local Chief of Police, the office of the prosecutor and the local government.
The fundamental right of the St. Maarten public to a safe living environment has to be ensured as well as the need to protect the tourism industry and the need to provide security for our residents and visitors a like.
There’s the need:
1. For all related agencies and stakeholders to be totally committed and work closer together to tackle crime and anti- social behavior.
2. To forge a joint effort to involve all elements of the community (French and Dutch) in the search for solutions.
3. To secure all available means to equip law enforcement authorities so they can adequately address the crime situation.
The island council recently approved a three-month camera surveillance test period for parts of Philipsburg. I express the hope that this will lead to the establishment of permanent camera surveillance at specific locations, in aid of effective crime-fighting in our community.
As part of the judicial chain, the quality of the police corps remains a matter of great importance.
The upgrading of the police force in the period leading up to country status certainly has the attention of the Government of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and the island territory of St. Maarten.
For St. Maarten, it is of great importance that we have a properly functioning and adequately staffed police organization.
This is not only because it is one of the key conditions for attaining country status. But, it is also of utmost essence to protect and serve the people of St. Maarten.
Temporary external expertise has been recruited to assist in the re-organizational plans, to upgrade skills and knowledge of police personnel.
It is essential that, in the coming period, the process aimed at improving the police organization be continued and successfully concluded.
Immigration
St. Maarten has to mitigate illegal immigration
Illegal immigration contributes to numerous social issues in the area of social welfare, health care, public housing, education, labor, legal protection and human rights.
Illegal immigration causes substantial damage to our island. St. Maarten should not be burdened with these additional challenges on its way to country status.
During 2008, my cabinet was strengthened by two additional members, specifically to assist with the support of tasks related to immigration. An immigration work group has been established. And a great deal of attention and effort has been dedicated to the handling of appeals and backlogs for residence permits.
In 2009 we will be delving into matter such as:
1. Effective immigration control and supervision with as main objectives; prevention, arrest and removal of undocumented persons.
2. Enforce of penalties for employers for breaking the law
3. Adequate housing and additional personnel for the Bureau of the Local Chief of Police.
4. Funding for the construction of more humane holding cells for persons awaiting deportation.
5. Recruitment of skilled qualified immigration personnel
Education
We have a moral and civic responsibility to teach our children to appreciate the importance of education and the privilege of being able to receive education.
Points of concerns in 2009 include:
– The realization of Secondary Vocational Education (SVE) on St. Maarten.
– Attracting sufficient qualitative teachers and social workers
– Having adequate programmes, text books and other relevant materials for our school system
– The implementation of compulsory education
– Giving incentives to and stimulating our youth to enter the teaching profession
We must now, more than ever, support the strengthening of our social fabric and the roles of the community, the parent, the teacher and the child.
I take this opportunity to call on all stakeholders to give children that extra attention that can make the difference between success and failure.
Environment
On St. Maarten, the protection of our environment has been treated as something of lesser importance for far too long.
The rapid, uncontrolled growth of the St. Maarten’s economy in the last decade is having its toll on the environment and on our natural habitats.
The construction of public roads and affordable housing are seriously lagging behind in the process of economic development.
The impact for residents includes loss of access to public beaches, a polluted sea, sewage and waste issues, eroding beaches and limited land availability.
Especially on a small island like ours, there is a limit to how much our environment can deal with.
The establishment of a Marine Park is pending as is the transfer of the management of this Marine Park to the Nature Foundation.
Points of concerns are: the Dump site in Philipsburg, our water ways, the preservation of the Great Salt Pond, the Simpson Bay Lagoon and the Hill Tops.
Challenges remaining for 2009 in the area of the environment include our:
· Commitment to protect the environment and our waters for ourselves, our visitors and for the marine industry.
· Giving content to sustainable development safeguarding a thriving economy for our future generation.
· Stricter zoning policies to protect existing monuments and natural and cultural environments such as Fort Amsterdam, ponds, nature reserves and marine parks to preserve these for future generations and to protect the island from over-development.
Economy
2008 was a turbulent year for the economy of Sint Maarten.
In the early part of 2008, world oil prices began an unprecedented climb, reaching US$145 a barrel in July 2008.
Small island nations like Sint Maarten were severely impacted by a form of imported inflation, which have an effect on the cost of goods and commodities.
This in turn led to a negative affect on our source market, tourism, as well as reducing investment opportunities.
The Island Government of St. Maarten has to implement several measures to assist in mitigating the effects of this global recession.
In 2009 we need to consider, among others:
· The effects of the global recession on our Tourism based economy.
· Issues of adequate policy-making and planning and the implementation and execution of measures in mitigating the effects of the global recession.
· The quest to create job opportunities outside of the tourism sector, to provide better match between labor demands and labor supply.
· The quest to increase youth participation in the labor market
· The quest to provide opportunities for students that graduate each year who will be entering our labor market as they chose not to pursue further studies.
Health Care
Many new initiatives are still related to the current transition to a country status and the accompanying process of decentralization. To ensure that Sector Health Care Affairs transfers to a Ministry of Public health with all required public health tasks and responsibilities, realistic budgets are needed to, among others:
· develop a new health insurance system for country St. Maarten;
· meet international, regional and governmental demands and expectations;
· develop an effective instrument to monitor health care costs, also referred to as financial overview health care and
· expand and upgrade capabilities of the St. Maarten Medical Center, as a major health care facility catering to the resident and visitor population and
· fund the recruitment of additional nursing personnel for the aforementioned facility.
Good governance
It is the duty of governments and public officials to consistently practice the principles of good governance.
We enter a new year, with the discomforting realization of a local political situation, which can be characterized as muddled, at best.
St. Maarten heralds the arrival of 2009 with a situation that is not only peculiar but a situation that is contrary to standard practice in local government.
The situation remains highly undesirable and can be seen as going against the spirit and principles of our democratic system.
This undesirable situation may warrant looking at other alternatives to try to resolve this issue. This would benefit the general interest and also those of the members of an Executive Council who now have more portfolio responsibilities at this crucial juncture in our history.
Challenges and opportunities remaining for 2009 include:
· Engaging ourselves in a consorted effort to institute the principles of good governance as a matter of customary practice.
· The people calling on their representatives to have the audacity to see and welcome fresh perspectives.
In conclusion, allow me to reiterate that:
Our primary objective should be to safeguard and enhance the well-being and quality of life of our people.
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As leaders we must convert our wishes into realistic, attainable goals throughout 2009.
As leaders in our community, we have an important role to play in educating our people.
As leaders we need to set an example of governing responsibly, effectively and efficiently with accountability, integrity, tolerance, respect, responsiveness and public consultation and participation.
As leaders we have to see to it that members of our community apply the democratic principles and those of good governance.
As leaders we have to ensure that the ideas and values embrace our actions.
As we complete the groundwork for country St. Maarten, allow me to invite you to welcome the New Year within the context of embracing new beginnings, characterized by a spirit of enthusiasm, so that the people of St. Maarten will be the true secret of our collective success.
Sacrifices will be required. But that should not deter us, since we are known to be a resilient people. Once we stand together as a community, we need not be hesitant or apprehensive about the future.
To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi: ‘we have to work as a collective and consult with our respective societies so that we march, not ahead or behind, but together as a people.’
With all that which is transpiring in our community, I must, at this time, also make a strong appeal to all residents of St. Maarten to become more tolerant of each other.
Let’s get involved in our community and be more vigilant in our neighborhoods in protecting our family, loved ones, friend, goods and properties.
Let’s increase the peace, tolerance and respect for each other.
We all stand to benefit when we practice these values all the time, every time.
My wife Angela, my children Joaquim and Keshia, as well as all members of my cabinet, join me in extending, to you, and yours, a prosperous, healthy and blessed 2009.
May God bless St. Maarten and the citizens of St. Maarten.
I thank you.