PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication (TEATT) has drafted an economic development plan that is currently being reviewed and adjusted, in consultation with other ministries.
Once this process has been finalised, the plan will be discussed with stakeholders in a work group that represents various sectors of the economy: such as hotel, casinos, the marine industry, shipping and cruise, airport, banking and various wholesalers and retailers.
“When this is finalised, it [the plan – Ed.] will be presented to the Council of Ministers and subsequently Parliament for input. We expect to have this complete within six weeks,” De Weever told Members of Parliament (MPs) during Saturday’s Parliament Central Committee meeting on the draft 2020 budget. She was at the time responding to questions from MPs.
Asked how government will facilitate construction projects being fast-tracked with an emphasis on jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for locals, De Weever said: “Despite the difficulty we will face in the short term, it may be possible to see a resurgence in the mid-to-long term of the construction sector. For this reason, during the drafting of our development plan, we started compiling a list of recently started projects.”
She said with the Ministries of VROMI and Health, Labour and Social Affairs VSA, TEATT will ensure that the labour, licence and permit processes are expedited as well as work at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and Port St. Maarten. Policies – such as room tax and fees – will be updated to reflect the country’s current realities.
“We also know that there are other private sector projects such as hotels [Planet Hollywood, Mullet Bay Towers and Indigo Bay] as well as several other small-to- medium projects that all can collectively bring about significant economic activities,” De Weever noted.
In response to another question on hurricane preparedness, De Weever said as a result of COVID-19, the hurricane food-items list has been further expanded which puts St. Maarten in a position to be better prepared for the hurricane season.
“In addition, the disaster plan related to hurricanes is being updated and reviewed together with stakeholders [such as hotels, the airport and Port St. Maarten]. The ministry is also in contact with wholesalers to ensure that the country’s food supply and basic necessities are stocked at high levels in time for the season.
She also said that currently a major part of what TEATT is doing is gathering findings, possible threats, opportunities and trends and any other indicators that can assist St. Maarten in making informed, strategic decisions in these fluid times.
“Our marketing initiatives have been chosen to serve the purpose of opening the tourism economy in phases based on the tourism sectors we have; in addition, increasing tourist arrivals, generating revenue, increasing tourism awareness [and – Ed.] promoting new innovative ideas to regain market share and once again become one of the preferred tourism destinations.
“In addition, we are concentrating on ‘Inclusive Tourism’ in order to maintain a balance between the economy, society and the environment,” she said.
“Concurrently, we are working on a multiphase plan of approach to reopen the tourism economy that is based on findings and trends, meetings, ongoing dialogue and conversations with other government departments and the various private sector stakeholders locally and abroad. This plan is near completion and will be shared with Parliament’s committee of TEATT once a draft is ready,” she added.
In the meantime, a meeting was held with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and a follow-up meeting is scheduled for April 28. “Also, we have already started meeting virtually with some of the cruise lines and informed that we are in the process of preparing for arrivals when the market opens.
“We informed them of the anticipated changes that have to been made as it pertains to our new realities and have assured them that our priority is in keeping our residents safe, as well as our visitors: by means of adhering to the new health standards of proper sanitisation in our public transportation and ports of entry.”
De Weever said the Ministry of TEATT recognises the need for fiscal reform and the development of e-zone legislation to attract investors and realise the country’s diversification efforts that will allow St. Maarten to become less reliant on tourism.
“While we recognise that tourism will remain our main economic driver, the ministry’s investment promotional activities will focus on enterprises that encourage technology and stimulate exports in the areas of agriculture, logistics and manufacturing,” she noted.
