The Netherlands caves to Sint Maarten’s demands. Full article below. More insight: The Netherlands Caves to Sint Maarten’s demands The site is currently under construction, but test postings are being published. More Knops: Back Story
The Hague – The National Council of Ministers (RMR) last week approved the fifth tranche of liquidity support for Sint Maarten. For the second quarter of 2021, Sint Maarten will receive 39 million guilders. This is evident from a decision published only yesterday.
According to State Secretary Raymond Knops of Kingdom Relations, the States of Sint Maarten have given sufficient clarity about the support for the agreement concluded in December on the establishment of the Caribbean Body for Reform and Development (COHO).
Earlier, the RMR suspended its support because the States have filed a petition with the United Nations against the colonial and racist behavior of the Netherlands. “The content of the petition submitted cannot be reconciled with the previously expressed support of the States of Sint Maarten for the national package and the process towards the realization of the Coho Act”, says Knops.
On April 16, Parliament once again expressed support for the agreement. According to this letter, the petition is not directed against Coho. “The chairman of the States indicates that the petition requests nine so-called remedies and that none of these remedies relates to the process towards the realization of the Coho Act.”
The Secretary of State hints that he is not fully convinced of this interpretation, because the petition is “difficult to reconcile” with the agreement on the creation of the COHO and the country package. But he is satisfied with this passage from the letter: ,, (…) as I affirm in this letter, the Parliament of Sint Maarten supports the legal trajectory towards the establishment of a reform entity as agreed upon by the Prime Minister and the Government of the Netherlands on December 22, 2020. ”
According to the States, the passage demanding that the establishment of Coho be discontinued was directed against the draft proposal at the time. “Now that an amended proposal is being drawn up on the basis of the advice of the Council of State, the passages mentioned have become obsolete.” That is enough for Knops to continue the support.
The amount of 39 million guilders for the second quarter, to which the RMR has agreed, is based on the liquidity requirement calculated by the Financial Supervision Board (Cft). Sint Maarten has complied with “the vast majority” of the agreements in the previous tranches. Some deadlines have been adjusted because the implementation takes more time. A condition will be met within the foreseeable future.
Another condition for the granting of aid was the signing of the first implementation agenda. This was on Knops’ agenda last Monday, but he makes no mention of this in his letter.
https://antilliaansdagblad.com/sint-maarten/23535-petitie-staten-sxm-niet-gericht-tegen-coho