~ Says Sarah in review of 2011 ~
PHILIPSBURG--There were no ?big bangs? or ?shocks? in 2011, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told reporters on Wednesday as she assessed St. Maarten?s first full year as a country within the Dutch Kingdom.
However, she said the new country had made some ?small, stable steps? over the just-ended calendar year.
?To be truthful, looking back in the case of St. Maarten does not reveal any big bangs or shock-and-awe type of events. While some might regret this, I see it differently. Shock and awe could also have been created by events that could have had a dramatic and negative impact on our country. This we have not had,? the Prime Minister told reporters at the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday.
?Yes, we have had our share of struggles and squabbles, some near falls, but nothing close to the upheavals that rocked other countries near and far,? she said.
Elaborating on the small, stable steps made last year, Wescot-Williams, the only minister at the first Council of Ministers press briefing for the New Year, said she noticed the constitution ?coming alive.?
?Government workers throughout the organisation have stepped up to the plate and many have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure the successful start as a country. Still we are not there yet, but government?s decision-making has become much more transparent with the publication requirement for all ordinances, national decrees, and ministerial decrees.
?Dialogue has taken on new meaning as the Parliament of our country set out to hear and dialogue with organisations big and small with respect for the opinions of others.?
In the area of foreign affairs, she said St. Maarten had planted seeds, the fruits of which would be reaped this year and in future years.
In the area of health care, she said the Social and Health Insurance SZV (former Social Insurance Bank SVB) had ?hit the ground running.?
?Gone are the long lines and the even-longer waiting time for services. With the termination of Dutch development aid on the horizon, St. Maarten has established its own NGO [non-governmental organisation, ed.] financing platform ? a vehicle to properly guide social funding to the neediest in our community.
?The Community Help Desks initiative has taken shape and the first one inSt. Petersis up and running.?
Infrastructural projects, she added, will continue this year with new projects such as the expansion of St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), schools and more road construction projects.
Tourism, she noted, ?is on the rebound? and the additional airlift into St. Maarten is one of the signs.
?It was also pleasing to witness a stronger police presence on our island during the holiday season ? a sign that the much-needed expansion of our Police Force is underway. Nevertheless, fighting crime committed against residents and visitors remains a top priority for government for this year.
?I commend the citizens who have assisted the Police Force with information that has been helpful in solving acts of crime. I trust that the Police Force in handling this information will protect those citizens to ensure an even-further strengthening of the trust between the police and the citizenry.?
She continued: ?Investments in St. Maarten from government?s perspective must be with the ultimate objective to contribute to the further economic growth of the nation and thus the overall wellbeing of our people. At the same time we take note of the predictions regarding the global outlook for 2012. There is some optimism at least as far as the travel and tourism industries are concerned.
?We in St. Maarten know a thing or two about this industry and should pursue growth opportunities and growing markets relentlessly. Predictions for the US economic growth, still our main source market, puts this growth anywhere between two and three per cent notwithstanding its internal budget woes and it is generally expected that the US economy will hold its ground against a predicted continued, possible escalated, European recession in 2012.
?Global peace remains fragile with turmoil in many parts of the world that should be viewed with great concerns by all nations of the world. It is these outlooks thatSt.Maarten faces and must contend with as we welcome this new year ? a year of many uncertainties yes, but also opportunities if we focus on what is important for St. Maarten and the roads that will take us there.
?So every individual, personal and professional, ? [should take the, ed.] opportunity to start anew with renewed vigour and determination, not dwelling for too long on what you should have, but rather on what you should do. So it should be for our entire nation ? slowly but steadily staying the course.?
Debit cards Gender Retail industry Endangered species Burlesque Bank of England
No comments:
Post a Comment