Members of the Island Council met with caretaker State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops during his visit to Saba in May. From left: Island Council members Carl Buncamper, Vito Charles and Eviton Heyliger, Island Council registrar Akilah Levenstone, Island Council member Esmeralda Johnson, State Secretary Knops and Island Council member Hemmie van Xanten. (File photo)SABA--Saba
Island Council members Carl Buncamper, Eviton Heyliger, Vito Charles, Esmeralda Johnson and Hemmie van Xanten, and Island Council registrar Akilah Levenstone will visit the Netherlands from Thursday, June 24, to Friday, July 2, for meetings and trainings.
Friday, June 25, and Wednesday, June 30, are reserved for meetings with members of the permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations of the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber in The Hague. A meeting behind closed doors is scheduled with the committee June 30.
The Island Council will also have meetings with the individual Kingdom Relations spokespersons of the various political parties represented in the Committee, including the conservative VVD party, Labour PvdA, Christian-Democrat CDA and the centre-democrat party D66.
The Saba delegation wants to discuss matters that are important for the island and its development, such as establishing structural, long-term budgets; establishing a social minimum with sufficient income for people to sustain themselves; improving transportation between St. Maarten and Saba; investments in agriculture and the educational facilities; and securing a better and more affordable banking system.
On Monday morning, June 28, the Island Council members will take part in a training provided by the Seven Senses Foundation. This training, which takes place in The Hague, focuses on citizen participation, the role of citizens and their participation in government.
On Monday afternoon, the Saba delegation will meet with representatives of the Dutch Central Bank DNB in Amsterdam to talk about matters including the limited services offered by the sole bank on the island at extremely high cost, opportunities for Dutch Caribbean residents to open a bank account in the Netherlands/Europe, and opportunities to apply for affordable mortgages.
On Tuesday morning, June 29, a meeting is planned with officials of the Council of State in The Hague. Topics the Saba delegation would like to talk about include the need for structural financing, the educational infrastructure/buildings, and recreational facilities.
On Tuesday afternoon, the delegation will visit the slavery exhibition in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
On Thursday, July 1, the day after the meetings in the Second Chamber, the delegation will take part in a second training. This leadership training will focus on team building, open communication and leadership tools, and will be provided by leadership development institution Ontwikkelhuis.
On Friday, July 2, the delegation will return to Saba.
