Consultant paid 21,000 euros
a month for Personnel head
PHILIPSBURG--The Island Territory of St. Maarten is paying Bestuurs Management Consultant (BMC) more than 21,000 euros a month for delivering the services of Interim Head Personnel and Organisation.
Documents The Daily Herald has in its possession show that BMC submitted an invoice for 20,533 euros in December 2007. Also, the Executive Council decided in February to extend the contract with BMC for another four months, from February to June, for Interim Head Personnel and Organisation in the person of Ronald Speld.
The total cost associated with the extension came to NAf. 221,192.86 (84,280 euros). On a monthly basis, this meant 21,070 euros, approximately 500 euros more per month than BMC charged in December 2007.
The extension of BMC’s contract was based on a recommendation by Management Resources. Speld’s top priority task will be the hiring of a Head for Personnel and Organisation. The Executive Council also approved the hiring of three senior policy workers to assist in the restructuring of the department and to support the Personnel and Organisation function as related to the transfer of personnel to Country St. Maarten.
Interim Head of Personnel and Organisation Luud Hakkens was temporarily relieved of his regular duties from May 1, 2008, until February 28, 2009, and assigned to the specific duties regarding the transfer of personnel from the Central Government to the future Country St. Maarten.
Meanwhile, National Alliance leader Island Council member William Marlin has inquired about a consultant that Government had hired for NAf. 60,000 a month.
He said in last week’s public meeting of the Island Council that he had understood that the contract with the consultancy had been extended again till November 1.
Commissioner of Personnel Affairs Maria Buncamper-Molanus answered that this was not the case and said that if the Councilman had certain information, he must know how to ask his questions.
BMC apparently has been advising government in personnel matters; in at least one such matter, government has been involved in a court case because of its intentions to fire a person. Consequently, the NA also requested to discuss the “dismissal of the civil servant Judy La Paix” in today’s Island Council meeting.
Marlin told this newspaper she had been fired as of immediately and had not received a salary at the end of the month, which caused numerous problems for her and her family. “One day the Executive Council screams that we have to recruit St. Maarteners and urge them to come home, but the next day it treats those who have come back home awfully.”
