PPA leader Gracita Arrindell.
PHILIPSBURG--In this third instalment of The Daily Herald (TDH) publishing the responses of various political parties contesting the snap election on Thursday, January 9, People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) party leader Gracita Arrindell gives her party’s plans if elected to St. Maarten’s Parliament.
TDH: St. Maarten does not have money. Government’s coffers are drying up fast, and the economy is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Irma. What are your party’s concrete short- and long-term plans to increase income for the government?
Arrindell: Short-term: Eliminate wastage; evaluate and reduce resources; strengthen our public financial management system by increasing transparency, accountability, and checks and balances and increasing fiscal discipline; a US $15 environmental fee for our cruise-ship and stay-over visitors; and increase the overall culture of tax compliance and strength tax administration.
Long-term: Prepare, review, pass, implement, monitor and manage a 10-year budget plan; research for a tax system that works for all and can support the country’s needs.
In the short term, PPA plans to assess and cut programmes that do not work or do what they set out to do. We believe in evaluating and enhancing programmes to support St. Maarten's current needs, but also avoiding wastage and being as efficient as possible.
TDH: Education is in shambles – from claims that the Foundation-Based Education (FBE) system is not working the way it should to the shortage of educators, students underperforming in some vocational sectors, and challenges in the tertiary education system. What are your top three priorities for education, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Arrindell: Address the conditions of aging school buildings and cuts to subsidies. More incentives for our teachers, including accessing and adjusting the pay scale. Evaluation of the FBE system and modernising our education system as it is done internationally. Link education to economic returns.
A good learning environment is vital to our students’ success. PPA is committed to establishing maintenance plans for our current schools.
Furthermore, it is necessary that the Ministry of Education work with the Ministry of [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – Ed.] VROMI to ensure that all schools, public and subsidised, live up to building codes with annual and publicised inspections. This is to ensure our schools are resilient, as we are aware that St. Maarten is situated in the hurricane belt.
Everything stands or falls with the quality of life for our people. … Professionally skilled educators are of utmost importance as main contributors in all policy-related matters. Let’s make sure our teachers are paid sufficiently.
TDH: What are your plans to address the challenges in the labour sector, such as unemployment?
Arrindell: Aligning education with labour market needs. Ensure the Immigration admission policy is aligned with social and economic growth needs and not used for cheaper labour. More flexible labour laws to attract more foreign direct investments. An attractive tax rate for entrepreneurs to enable them to hire more persons.
TDH: The burgeoning landfill situation is getting out of control and while there have been meetings and proposals, etc., no government has been able to bring to fruition a permanent long-term sustainable waste-to-energy solution. What is your party’s concrete long-term plan for the landfill and what is your timeline to achieve this?
Arrindell: The landfill is a ticking time bomb on our island. We need to be conscious of the fact that everyone is at risk, not only residents but tourists as well. … This landfill must be eliminated in the next decade or less. The decision-making process and final choices will be done under a PPA-led government in an open and transparent manner …
Let’s turn this negative impact around by turning this garbage into economic potential for the island. The “scan-screen-implement” design will allow us to identify this potential, as this interconnecting model deals with the basic needs of food, water, energy, health and housing, based on the way ecosystems work. Hence, its point of departure is always sustainability …
A class action suit was filed earlier this year by citizens taking government to court in an attempt to make a decision regarding the elimination of the landfill. PPA supports this class action suit. A potential and ready-to-implement solution has been presented again to both parliament and government officials by engineer Matthew Halley (Netherlands).
TDH: What is your party’s plan to put roofs over the heads of the many residents who are still living under tarpaulins and leaky roofs since Hurricane Irma?
Arrindell: Monitor and enhance the relationship with NRPB [National Recovery Programme Bureau]. Advocate for local cultural norms such as succession land to be considered in the decision to provide support. PPA intends to monitor the progress of NRPB closely, ensuring that NRPB has the attention of government and its support. We [will] ensure that the general public understands the NRPB’s procurement methods.
TDH: What is your position on the future of Port St. Maarten. Do you think it needs a strategic partner and, if not, how do you propose to lift the public company out of its current debt of roughly $200 million?
Arrindell: PPA will review the position of Port St. Maarten and decide on the best alternative. However, PPA does not believe government or any government-owned company should be used as a cookie jar to pursue the personal agenda of top civil servants.
TDH: The electorate has been forced to go to the polls almost every year because of the current electoral system. There has been talk about electoral reform for many years, but the issue was never concretely addressed. What concrete plan or proposal will your party pursue to address this issue once and for all and what is your timeline to achieve this?
Arrindell: Electoral reform alone will not fix our problems, as the issue we are faced with is an integrity issue. We believe that the time has come, more than ever, to lead by example. Our programme shows that we are ready to make politics work for the citizens, and not for specific interests. This is a common responsibility, and we are prepared to do our share.
PPA plans to work on electoral reform after a comprehensive study is done. We want to set the trend of a comprehensive policy and law-making process, which involves adequate research and several options and the choice for the best alternative, given the evidence.
TDH: The Pointe Blanche prison has been plagued by many challenges over the years and the situation has reached a breaking point. What are your party’s plans for the prison and does your party intend to make finances available for the much-needed construction of a new prison? How big a priority is this for you?
Arrindell: The renovation of the prison is a priority of PPA solely because it violates human rights. Moreover, the prison is meant to rehabilitate inmates and prevent repeat offenders. Our current facility and resources do not facilitate that.
PPA plans to do the following: Make financing available for renovation, accompanied by a maintenance plan that considers the increase to the cost annually; revamp safety and security measures to international standards; allocate resources for education, therapy, and sports for our prisoners; provide youth detention facilities with a focus on learning and skill development.
TDH: How would your party address issues such the absence of a functioning Rental Committee; Casino Gaming Board and Tourism Authority?
Arrindell: It is crucial that all these bodies be established and that clear mandates are established, especially for the Rental Committee. However, a Rental Committee does not necessarily indicate that there will be a reduction in housing cost. The only way this is assured is if there are more opportunities for our people to own their own homes and that we provide adequate social housing.
The “good old” supply and demand to regulate prices will ensure that living is more affordable, especially for those most vulnerable in our society. PPA is prepared to do just that.
A Casino Gaming Board and Tourism Authority will be updated and supported to execute their respective mandates without further delay. It is time to take both these critical institutions seriously.
TDH: Should your party be elected, will your Members of Parliament (MPs) take a salary cut of 10 per cent, and what definitive steps would be taken to achieve this?
Arrindell: PPA [will] guarantee that the motion for the pay cut is tabled. We will propose a salary cut of 30 per cent. This was already discussed with all candidates prior to [nomination] day. This should not be an initiative by a select few or a choice. This should be something that is done in alignment with the people and their struggles. PPA’s job as a representative is to lobby to ensure that this happens and to have it debated in parliament.
TDH: What are your party’s plans to permanently (not temporarily) address the traffic situation around the country?
Arrindell: PPA proposes to include overpasses with the rerouting of traffic. … We have thought about several traffic solutions, including and not limited to the construction of overpasses as well as tunnelling in the long term for less traffic congestion, namely in Simpson Bay, St. Peters and the Pondfill.
Our plan to reduce traffic congestion in St. Peters is a must. This would help solve the nightmare of taking our children to school in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon. The construction of a new road from Weymouth Hill, linking Nazareth and Union Farm estates, will definitely help to ease the traffic congestion in the St. Peters area by providing an alternative route to Philipsburg and French Quarter.
TDH: How does your party plan to reform the national health insurance (NHI) system? Do you generally agree with the draft law in its present state, or will you propose a new system and, if so, what would be the key factors of this new system?
Arrindell: PPA intends to find a system that works best in the St. Maarten context, considering limited resources and poor access to information. In the interim, we should ensure that we address specific gaps, such as a focus on preventative measures [and] a focus on health care for our elderly, our entrepreneurs, and the unemployed.
There has been a lot of political talk about a universal health care system. St. Maarten needs to assess its ability to take on a comprehensive health care system and make sure proper planning is done. For example, we know universal health care comes at a high cost and high manpower. These resources St. Maarten does not have.
TDH: In the immediate aftermath of the election on January 9, which party/parties would your party like to work with in a coalition setting and why?
Arrindell: PPA will carefully review the manifesto of each of the parties who have been successful on January 9. PPA is prepared to work with any party that has St. Maarten’s interest at heart and supports our core belief for stability, security and accountability and strength by addressing these following areas: Reducing the cost of living; encouraging the establishment of more small business enterprises; affordable and sustainable education that works for all students; stimulating affordable hurricane-resilient homeownership; introducing laws that hold our officials accountable.
Arrindell’s closing remarks: The new 2020-2024 St. Maarten parliament will act in the sole interest of our people. It is time to shine the light of the world positively on St. Maarten, instead of on our politicians negatively.
People of St. Maarten, our island is worth fighting for. That is why PPA is asking for your support and for your vote. What motivates us is the opportunity to leave a legacy worthy of the pages of our history for the next generation to come, starting today with you. Together we can make St. Maarten beautiful again! It is time. God bless St. Maarten and its people. Thank you.
