Immigration cited as big issue
in public service level study
PHILIPSBURG--The immigration situation in St. Maarten was seen as one of the big issues in the findings of a Public Service Level Study in St. Maarten conducted by Hassink and Roos and Dutch firm Evar Advisory Services in 2006.
The study, which was done on the island’s public service between January and September 2006, was aimed at getting insight into the level and size of the island’s public service and its task, into the current and required public service levels.
The study was entitled The Public Sector in Transition: Towards Country Status and Beyond. The findings of the study can be used in future documents being prepared for Country St. Maarten.
During a presentation of the findings of the study on Tuesday, Ap Reinders of Evar Advisory Services, which carried out the study with Hassink and Roos, said immigration issues should be incorporated in policy-making. Reinders said undocumented immigrants on the island made use of public services and as a result had an impact on them.
Regarding the immigration issue, Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams acknowledged that this was an area that had to be addressed. She said the number of undocumented immigrants on the island had grown since the last grace period in 2001. She also emphasised the importance of immigration control. “This grey area is not healthy for any society,” she said.
The study also recommends that the number of teachers be increased and that improvements be carried out in schools. Another recommendation was fostering closer ties between education and the labour market.
Although the study did not indicate the efficiency of the public service, it was recommended that the efficiency and effectiveness of government bodies be improved.
Other policy recommendations include improving the quality of the public services, strengthening the economy, and addressing the island’s ageing population.
The findings of the study, which was used as a basis for the development of the multi-annual policy plan and as a basis for the preparation of the island’s budget, can be used when preparing many other documents, Reinders said during the presentation to Wescot-Williams, representatives of the Projects and Planning Bureau (PPB), and members of the media yesterday.
The recommended improvements do not necessarily mean that taxes have to be increased. Reinders said the present system of tax collection could just be improved. Wescot-Williams said after the presentation that the island’s tax system was under review as the island pursued its new constitutional status. She said the present tax system was considered too cumbersome and “a lot can be done to make the system simpler, to increase compliance.”
PPB Head Louis Brown said the study was necessary as part of the long-term planning for the island.
In her opening remarks Wescot-Williams said that while the study had been completed, the critical decisions were still to be made. “It’s all about St. Maarten and what we offer now for public services, what we would like to offer in the future,” she said.
Numerous stakeholders were interviewed for the study. In some cases the information requested was not always available.
