PHILIPSBURG--While there are sufficient funds to pay salaries this month, the absence of liquidity support is jeopardising other vital processes such as the St. Maarten Stimulus and Relief Plan (SSRP), subsidy recipients and funds to run the country, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said.
She made the remarks in response to a question during the live Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday.
“There is much more than salaries that government has to pay. There are obligations to subsidy recipients and for us to be able to run the country on a daily basis. Those are the things that are in jeopardy, as well as, of course, SSRP and unemployment. That is the main area where the liquidity support could cover. That is what is in jeopardy,” Jacobs said.
She said that there is currently no “Plan B”.
“We have, as you know, last year exhausted that to some extent, but if the need arises and we have to go that route, then we have to go that route, but for now I am just asking the persons out there whom we do owe who have not received their payments in due time to have understanding for the fact of the matter that we are at an impasse at this moment and I hope to have it resolved by the end of this week.”
Jacobs said that to date government had not received the NAf. 39 million liquidity support and the delay has been very concerning to government. She said the goalpost continues to be moved and agreements that have been made are not being lived up to.
It is in good faith that St. Maarten continues to meet this week with the Temporary Work Organisation (TWO) from the Netherlands and authorities hope to see if they can get the impasse resolved as soon as possible in the interest of the vital processes.
It had been brought to government’s attention that there is a challenge with the corporate governance at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and government is doing its due diligence on this matter with some level of confidentiality.
“It is not about any one person, but what is in the best interest of St. Maarten.”
