Left to right, Representatives of the Indian Merchants Association Spokesperson and Vice President Damu Rawtani, and Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams and Policy Support of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister Emilia Thomas
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, on Friday morning was introduced to the new board of the Indian Merchants Association (IMA) by Spokesperson and Vice President Damu Rawtani.
The deliberations centered on the new government structure of which the prime minister gave an explanation with respect to ministerial responsibilities, the position of the Governor and the separation of powers.
The IMA remains committed to the socio-economic development of the country and will continue to do their part. They reiterated their call to be part of the solution in various matters with respect to national development.
The prime minister expressed her willingness to involve them as a stakeholder in the nation’s development and thanked the IMA for requesting the meeting with her to discuss issues of general concern and those of the IMA in particular.
Another matter addressed in the meeting was the Social Economic Council (SER) where the prime minister gave an explanation about the SER and the organic law that would govern that body.
Another issue raised was the policy of granting foreign work permits. The prime minister pointed out that some immediate changes were necessary with respect to the present policy as well as an improvement of the process.
The IMA expressed their willingness to be a part of any tri-partite committee regarding labor matters, an offer the prime minister welcomed as she again reiterated her position that dialogue amongst stakeholders and social partners is a necessary component of national development.
The increase in the Turn over Tax is a matter of concern to the IMA and they questioned whether prior consultation had taken place. The prime minister explained to the IMA board that this was the only revenue-generating measure that could be implemented within a relatively short period of time, looking at the timeline of mid-December for the country to present a balanced budget.
Crime was another area that was discussed and the prime minister explained that a number of initiatives that are being taken to add manpower to the Police Force, the plan to improve the overall justice organization and that crime fighting remain high on the agenda of Government.