Following their orientation (see Saturday paper) the 15 newly-elected Members of Parliament (MPs) should be ready to hit the ground running this week with various important meetings tentatively scheduled. At least one of the two listed for today, Monday, promises to be quite interesting.
It regards a Central Committee debate about government’s new policy on the issuance of labour permits as published in the National Gazette on Friday, February 7. It is no secret that this topic is a highly controversial one, with especially employers’ organisations opposing the added requirements.
St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), backed by St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA), Indian Merchants Association (IMA) and St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA), are demanding the decree’s immediate withdrawal. They point to serious consequences for local businesses still recovering from the blow of Hurricane Irma and a lack of consultations with the private sector via the Social Economic Council SER and the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA’s own Tripartite Committee.
Noteworthy is that this afternoon’s meeting was requested by the entire faction of United People’s (UP) party, which after the recent election formed a coalition with National Alliance (NA). Outgoing VSA Minister Pamela Gordon-Carty, who is responsible for the contested policy, represents the latter party in the interim cabinet headed by its leader Silveria Jacobs.
What’s more, current UP leader Rolando Brison was part of the so-called Coalition of Eight backing the now-caretaker Council of Ministers in the first place. Apparently concern over this issue is so great that he and his faction colleagues wanted to discuss it sooner rather than later.
There is another pressing issue not on the provisional agenda. The Netherlands on Friday again insisted that legislators in Philipsburg take a pay cut as requirement for continued much-needed liquidity support, like members of the executive branch already did before.
This matter has been discussed since the early post-Irma days and more than two years have gone by. Further delay is simply not an option.
