Formateur Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs.
PHILIPSBURG--Formateur and leader of the National Alliance (NA), interim Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs has met with the candidate ministers, who are expected to make up the new Council of Ministers and she is hoping to have “all the necessary information” to present to Governor Eugene Holiday by the end of this week.
Holiday recently appointed Jacobs as formateur tasked with the responsibilities of forming the next government for St. Maarten. Jacobs was requested to form a new government which has the support of a broad majority in Parliament to foster political stability, that consists of ministers who are committed to the development and execution of a governing programme aimed at the promotion of the well-being of St. Maarten, its people, its economy, its infrastructure and its security.
When asked for an update on the formation process during the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, Jacobs said: “I have met with candidate ministers and I updated them on the process that we have to go through together in terms of providing information. We are at that part of the process. At the end of the week, I hope to have all the necessary information to present to the Governor as per our agreement and from there we will move on to consultations if some information cannot be given in a short period of time.”
She expressed confidence that the deadline set by Holiday will be met. “We will meet our deadline date as has been set in the formation assignment. I do believe that it is achievable as we will have several of our sitting ministers returning, who have been through this process several months ago so that should not take as long as probably the initial screening in October last year.”
Jacobs’ assignment includes forming a new government which will give priority to concluding the legislation regarding the combating of money laundering and financing of terrorism, including the penal procedure code; the development of initiatives aimed at the sustainable social economic recovery of St. Maarten, including the execution of the agreements made with the Netherlands and the World Bank regarding, amongst other things, the rehabilitation of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and the construction of the new St. Maarten General Hospital; realising sustainable government finances, including the completion of the 2020 budget; the safety and security of St. Maarten by investing in the strengthening of the law and order services, amongst which the Police Force and the prison; the improvement of our environment with an emphasis on realising sustainable waste management solutions and the amending of the electoral laws by bringing the Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties and the Election Ordinance in accordance with the Constitution.
Holiday requested Jacobs to present him the final report of the formation process by February 23.
