St. Maarten politicians see GEBE as 'milking cow' ~
ST. EUSTATIUS--The ongoing saga linked to utility company GEBE has raised the ire of leader of the opposition Progressive Labour Party (PLP) in Statia Clyde van Putten who took special aim at "the powers that be in Philipsburg," including Energy Commissioner Theo Heyliger, on Tuesday.
In a statement Tuesday, Van Putten also called on the National Alliance to come out publicly and state where it stands on the GEBE saga.
He said, "Gone are the days when Heyliger's grandfather will shout 'hip' and the leaders on these islands [Saba, Statia and St. Maarten] will say 'hoorah' and comply with what he said and wanted, even if it was at the expense of the people of the two smaller islands."
In referring to "politicians in St. Maarten who seemingly have hidden agendas and have been acting and behaving as if the company is solely owned by the government of St. Maarten," Van Putten advised Heyliger and the "political directorate in St. Maarten to keep their hands off of the company."
He said recent statements made by Heyliger regarding operational losses in Statia and Saba had prompted his response, as none of the three Windward Islands should be singled out when discussing GEBE's losses.
Van Putten said GEBE, formerly owned by the Central Government, had been transferred into a foundation owned by Saba, Statia and St. Maarten. "In so doing, it was never mentioned that one island has more shares or rights in the company. While we recognise that the bigger part of the operation is in St. Maarten, that doesn't give them more say or claim over the company," Van Putten said.
He added that the losses of the water company in St. Maarten should also be looked at if parties persisted in highlighting losses at GEBE in Saba and Statia.
He said part of the reason for the ongoing saga between current management and politicians in St. Maarten had to do with the fact that the politicians saw GEBE as a "milking cow" to execute pet projects for political gain.
He said he had full understanding that ahead of the elections for country St. Maarten, Heyliger was using the issue of GEBE to score political points and make people believe he was the sole saviour and could lower their high electricity bills.
Van Putten said that if the St. Maarten government no longer desired substantive cooperation as far as energy was concerned, then it must say so and start the process of splitting up the company and its assets. "But we will walk away with our fair share, taking into account the financial obligations of the company," he said.
He concluded by calling on the Executive Councils of Saba and Statia to "awaken from their slumber" and tackle the issue of GEBE head-on.
