Today’s report that the Council of Ministers has accepted the Dutch Government’s deal to provide financing totalling US $100 million for the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) reconstruction is most welcome. There had been some hesitation about the terms and possible alternatives, but an offer of half that amount as grant from the World Bank-managed Trust Fund and the other half a European Investment Bank (EIB) soft loan with interest rate of only 4.45 per cent would have been hard to beat.
There were a few extraordinary conditions, including one member each on the airport’s executive and supervisory boards that led to TEATT Minister Stuart Johnson’s talk of a “virtual takeover.” In response, State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops assured that these possibly temporary appointees would not be his watchdogs, but rather professionals with relevant expertise and acceptable to both countries.
Another aspect is the intended involvement of Royal Schiphol Group that apparently sparked a bit of resistance in Philipsburg and within the government-owned company. However, the renowned national airport of the Netherlands has played a role at PJIA before when current Governor Eugene Holiday was still in charge and did the same in Aruba as well as Bonaire.
The main thing right now is restoring the destination’s main gateway to its former glory sooner rather than later. After all, the local tourism economy’s revival and livelihood of the population greatly depend on it.
That this news comes during the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation IPKO hosted by St. Maarten is also opportune, because it’s an issue that surfaced during the first day of deliberations. The urgent nature of the matter was made clear to those in attendance.
In taking this perhaps somewhat controversial decision, the Romeo-Marlin Cabinet is choosing the best available option to help quickly get the island’s key hospitality point of entry squarely back on its feet again.
