HoTC President Nick Maley presenting Livvitt representatives with a certificate of appreciation.
PHILIPSBURG--Head of Town Business Community HoTC President Nick “Yoda Guy” Maley presented Livvitt staffers with a certificate of appreciation on Thursday in recognition of Livvitt’s generous support to HoTC’s revitalisation and promotion programme for the area in preparation for the upcoming tourist season.
“Most Front Street merchants, big and small, have struggled through the post-Hurricane Irma recession,” Maley said in a press release on Thursday. “Fewer ships and massive hotel closures resulted in low income for many businesses fighting to pay bills and to maintain their workforce.
“Progress was painfully slow, with delays in receiving insurance for some, no insurance for others and low reserves for smaller enterprises. Each area of town has had their unique challenges and has striven to forge solutions.
“At the head of town, many small businesses have very shallow pockets and over the months we experienced many shop closures, but recently it has been uplifting to see new businesses filling those empty stores and the general effort being made to upgrade the ambiance of the area.
“Still, our efforts to encourage customers to visit the area have had to be very budget-minded. Livvitt has shown great community spirit in helping us in this regard, and so presenting this certificate is a small token of our appreciation.”
Maley also thanked the Ministries of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) and Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI for their continued support of several economically driven HoTC proposed projects that he hopes will reach completion in the coming months.
“Unfortunately changes of government, corporate interests and excessive red tape, have caused countless delays. But in this age of international divisionism, self-interest and ethnic targeting overseas, St. Maarten/St. Martin has the opportunity to demonstrate what can be achieved if all parties, political, social and ethnic, consider what they can do to help each other, as Livvitt did for HoTC, and pull together for the economic benefit of the nation as a whole,” he said.
Maley expressed hope that decisive action would be taken to cut through the red tape and help St Maarten’s business community help themselves. “The taxpayer can only support government if government supports the taxpayer. Low profits result in low tax revenue. We need quick approval of the various proposals outlined by … HoTC, IMA [Indian Merchants Association – Ed.], PPB [Philipsburg Promotional Board], etc., to stimulate the economy as quickly as possible,” he said.
