Host of the weekly radio informative program "Changes" Mr. Dave Levenstone on Wednesday evening called for the Executive Council of Saba to consider organizing an Economic Summit on the island of Saba.
Levenstone said that the economic financial crisis is also affecting the island and it is time for the Executive Council to assume their responsibility and convene a meeting with all stakeholders in order to discuss what measures can be taken to help solve the problems. Saba is a very small island and we depend on everything from outside of the island.
When we listen to the news coming out of St. Maarten and realize that over there they are feeling the pinch on Saba we should not sit back and wait as if nothing will affect the island.
Saba is one of the most expensive islands in the region and absolutely nothing is being done by the Executive Council to try and help solve the problems surrounding the cost of living.
Levenstone said that on Monday evening during the Town Hall meeting of State Secretary Bijleveld the issue of high cost of living came up and he was very much surprised to hear the argument of the Commissioner of Economic Affairs Mr. Chris Johnson. The Commissioner statement did not make any suitable sense and I have termed it as cockroach economics.
Commissioner Johnson said that he has taken note that on St. Maarten what they do is to publish a list of all the supermarkets with the prices in the media of several items and he has proposed to do the same thing on Saba. I don’t see what that would do to help bring down the cost of goods on Saba. Is Government going to employ someone to go to the three or four supermarkets on the island with a list and see their prices?
I have been calling on the Executive Council for the past couple of months to convene a meeting with all of the cargo boats that brings cargo to the island to set a standard price on freight. Government could also drop the high harbor dues that they have in place to accomodate the cargo boats for the time being. It seems that every time the cargo boats comes in they changes their price list and nobody is doing anything about it. Several months ago we could have all blamed it on the high cost of fuel, but the price of fuel has been decreased dramatically and still everything still remains high on the island. When you speak to the store owners they are telling you that the cost of cargo has not gone down, but it has increased.
Government can also enter into a disucsion with the Central Government to do away with the 3% Turnover tax for the time being, this would help bring about some relief also. After all what are we getting from the 3% Turn over Tax anyhow? The Island Government should be receiving 1% from the turn over tax, but he do not know if the island even receives this money.
Levenstone said that price control falls directly under the Island Government and the Executive Council is responsible and should be doing something to try and bring down the cost of living. There are many things that can be done to help in this area. Business places on Saba is feeling the economic problems and some of them has already started to lay of employees and government seems not to be even aware of that.
An economic summit would be a solution to the many problems facing this little piece of paradise as together with the business community I am sure that government can find some form of relief for the community.