UD, USP and PFP Factions Want Urgent Meeting Regarding the Assistance Programs of the SSRP and the Assistance by the Government of the Netherlands to Fund these Programs.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Three factions in Parliament have requested an urgent meeting of Parliament to hear from the Government regarding the SSRP payroll and unemployment programs and the status of the liquidity assistance from the Netherlands.

This matter has taken on more urgency, given the deadline of June 15^th as communicated by State Secretary R. Knops, and the reliance on the second tranche of 29M NAF to fund the SSRP programs.

In their letter to the Chairperson of Parliament the three factions also mentioned a June 12^th letter by Knops to the Second Chamber, confirming that Aruba and Curacao have met the conditions and thus will be receiving the second half of the liquidity assistance in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic. In this letter no mention is made of St. Maarten.

June 15^th was also the date by which the country’s reform plans needed to be presented to the CFT for evaluation.

Further in their letter, the factions of UD, USP and PFP ascertain that there seem to be much uncertainty with regard to the application of the conditions imposed by the Netherlands and that in their opinion  the public discourses have only fueled this uncertainty, as  many affected entities seem to be at a loss with the execution of these conditions.

MP Wescot-Williams: “And then there is the very valid concern regarding the legality of the actions by Government to enforce the conditions by the Netherlands, without Parliamentary approval.” 

The Members of Parliament also requested the presence of the Prime Minster and the Minister of Finance at the meeting and  look forward to the meeting being convened as an urgent meeting of Parliament.