~ MOU to be signed with SCDF ~
PHILIPSBURG--“A clearer study” needs to be conducted as to why the Soul Beach Music Festival is no longer in Aruba, says Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs.
She told reporters during the live Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday that this is needed so that St. Maarten can determine what is best for the country moving forward.
The minister made the remarks during the question and answer segment of the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday. One of the issues raised by another section of the media was about the non-payment of funds for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta for 2024, yet government found left-over funds for the Soul Beach Music Festival.
“The minister of TEATT [Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication] saw it fitting for wanting to bring such an initiative back to the country and I agree with wanting to bring back Soul Beach, because it started here 29 years ago. This is going to be their 30th year, bringing it back home,” said Gumbs.
“We saw the benefits of it in Aruba. I think a clearer study needs to be done as to why it is no longer in Aruba, though. I believe that should happen because we need to understand if something is working for you, why not continue with it, so that we know going forward what is best for St. Maarten where Soul Beach is concerned.”
The minister then touched on the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) which she said will be signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with government. “I think besides the Soul Beach factor, besides the Heineken Regatta factor, there is a next factor and that is the carnival factor; and I say that with all due respect, because there seems to be this sentiment that the government isn’t doing anything for our own product – our own cultural product and that being carnival – and to my understanding there is going to be an MOU signed between SCDF and the minister of TEATT concerning funds that they will be receiving; and according to my understanding again, these are funds that have never been received by SCDF. I look forward to seeing more of this MOU because it will also raise awareness as to everyone’s responsibilities – what are their expectations versus ours and making sure that everyone really gets a fair share of this pie,” stated the minister.
St. Maarten will be investing an amount of US $700,000 to host the Soul Beach Music Festival, which will be coming back to St. Maarten, where it began in the Caribbean as the Sinbad Soul Music Festival in 1995. The country can potentially rake in a return of US $30 million on its investment. The music festival held usually during the Memorial Day weekend, thereafter became an annual feature of Aruba’s tourism offerings for almost a quarter of a century.
The minister told Members of Parliament that the Dutch side will be contributing an amount of US $700,000 to host the Soul Beach Music Festival. The event was originally intended to be a joint effort between the French and Dutch sides of the island with a combined budget of US $1.4 million, however, due to budgetary constraints, the French St. Martin government was unable to participate in the collaborative funding. French St. Martin was still negotiating with the event coordinator and they might still participate.
