PHILIPSBURG--Windward Islands Civil Servants’ Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU) approves of the proposed St. Maarten Support Relief Plan (SSRP).
“With the financial care of St. Maarten’s workforce at the forefront of its mission, we’ve paid close attention to Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion’s presentation of the proposed SSRP,” the union said in a press release on Monday.
The union said it endorses the plan, as it directly addresses the care of employees, protecting jobs and assisting the less fortunate. “This is a critical time for our workforce, and for the well-being of our citizens. We foresee the plan as a positive economic input on our community during this uncertain time in the history of our nation,” according to the union’s statement.
“Further, much consideration has been given to those who cannot support themselves in times of economic crisis: every person in St. Maarten should be looked after, and we are confident that the SSRP will do that. Everyone should get behind this effort and support it,” said the union.
WICSU/PSU warned that this is not a time for comparison, but for contemplation and commitment to the population. “Together, with government’s support, the people of St. Maarten will prevail,” it said.
The proposal to respond to COVID-19’s devastation of the local economy was prepared by the Ministry of Finance with input from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS), and various stakeholders on the island.
The primary objective of the plan is to avoid the layoff of employees (maintain employee retention) and provide help to those affected by the lockdown of the economy.
Payroll support is a key element of the proposed plan, along with important social aspects.
The proposed plan includes payroll support to businesses, income support to independent entrepreneurs, including taxi drivers and vendors, and soft loans to cover fixed cost other than payroll. The plan identifies a need for NAf. 253 million for April, May and June of this year.
The proposed SSRP was sent to the Kingdom Council of Ministers, which said it only “would look at it” and for now would follow – the contested – Committee for Financial Supervision CFT advice regarding liquidity support. The release said government would start with the payroll support and income support programmes that would be implemented before the end of April.
