St. Maarten is being
fleeced, says Frans
PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Councilman Frans Richardson warned during Monday’s Island Council meeting against what he called the “fleecing” of St. Maarten. He said more foreign companies were increasingly finding work while the “local man” was being pushed out.
Criticising government for having the new Government Administration Building built by a company from Trinidad, using mostly non-local (sub)contractors, Richardson said that in the past St. Maarten people had proudly constructed their own buildings. “Now it is all foreign companies. Not one local person has become a millionaire building a large project,” he said.
He blamed government for the exclusion of local people. “When last has this government stood up for a local person? More and more local people turn out to be employees instead of employers,” he said. He assured that he would continue to look out for the interest of local people.
Targeting Commissioner Louie Laveist, who is in charge of the new US $16.73 million Government Administration Building under construction on Pond Island, Richardson asked how this Commissioner could “proudly” call off three local (sub)contractors involved in the project. “They get a little dig in. What about the tiling and the doors and windows? Don’t we have enough locals who can do that work?”
Richardson complimented Telecommunication Commissioner Franklin Meyers for involving local persons and companies in the construction of the new TelEm building, located next to the new administration building. “I say kudos to you. You looked out for the locals,” he said, adding that it made him very proud to see a young man from Middle Region putting on the roof of the TelEm building. “That is why I don’t question the TelEm building,” he said.
Richardson and his fellow NA councilmen queried government on Monday on the new Government Administration Building and the additional expenses for the filling in of an inside parking lot on the ground floor of block B and C, and the driving of piles for block D. NA and the other opposition party People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) voted against the addition proposed by the Executive Council. The proposal was passed with six Democratic Party (DP) votes in favour.
NA Councilman William Marlin and Richardson doubted whether the cost of the new works were in synch with market prices. Not only was the price of driving the piles too high, the cost of some US $1.4 million for filling up of the parking area to turn into office space also didn’t correspond with market prices, according to Marlin.
“Somebody made a booboo and it will cost the taxpayer an additional US $1.8 million, and after 16 years it will be double that amount with the added interest. If it’s not a mistake, it’s highway robbery. Something doesn’t smell right. These things are wrong,” he said, mentioning the unfinished vendor spaces close to the existing Government Administration Building.
Marlin suggested halting the voting on the proposed addendum and sending the proposal back to the drawing board. He said specifically that the cost of piling should be looked at because it was double the market price.
Frans Richardson called it “unbelievable” that government was paying more than US $6,000 per pile. He said he had only paid about US $1,500 per pile when Sunset Theatres was constructed. Commissioners Laveist and Roy Marlin explained that the piles and the works of a 10,000m2 building could not be compared to a theatre.
Nevertheless, Richardson argued that spending US $16.73 million, about NAf. 30 million, with an end figure of NAf. 54.7 million after 16 years of annual payments, was a “serious matter.” “We have to be accountable to the people who pay for these buildings. We have to plan and plan properly,” he said, hoping that the Island Council would not be asked again in the near future to approve additional funding.
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