Pantophlet: ‘IC never saw final draft
water agreement signed with Air-Fin’
PHILIPSBURG--Government set a wrong precedent when it signed the new 10-year water agreement with Air-Fin Holding’s Managing Director Mr. Willem Barendsen without giving the island Council a copy of the final draft agreement, National Alliance councilman George Pantophlet stated in a press release.
The Councilman sent a letter to the Executive Council last week asking for a copy of the signed agreement. “During several Island Council meetings held on this issue, the draft agreement presented dated back to the year 2005. I would like to verify whether any changes were made to the document,” Pantophlet said.
Furthermore, he stated, it was as recent as May 21, 2007 that the company had registered at the Chamber of Commerce. In this regard the Councilman reminded the Executive Council that Air-Fin Holding N.V. “has no business or director’s license and if it does, the Island Council needs to see copies thereof.”
What really caught Pantophlet’s attention was the statement that construction on the new water plant would begin soon. “There are many persons who have been waiting for months, some maybe a year or more on an answer from government and they will now be wondering if they can operate without a business license.”
Based on this, Pantophlet is asking if it’s because government is involved they can break their own laws. He wants to know as well if government finally negotiated a new water supply contract with GEBE N.V. as Commissioner Roy Marlin stated during one of the Island Council meetings on the new water agreement.
