PHILIPSBURG – Government offices will begin moving into the new government administration building by Friday, September 23, announced Prime Minister William Marlin on Wednesday, September 21, during the Council of Ministers press briefing.
“We made a promise that we would complete the building and we would move in and we are doing so. We are doing so starting with the Council of Ministers,” Marlin disclosed. He said all computers have been disconnected, documents have been boxed and labeled and these along with furniture will be moved into the new building.
The Finance Department will be the next to move and a moving plan is in place for all other government departments. “All of it will not happen between now and Friday. The only occupants of the building on Friday will be the Council of Ministers and their support staff, and gradually the move will continue,” Prime Minister Marlin said. He said more announcements will be made on Friday.
The government of St. Maarten negotiated an agreement with its creditors SZV and APS to settle outstanding debt, which involves selling the new government building to SZV. The Council Of Ministers reached an agreement that the new Government building will be sold to SZV for NAf. 45 million in order to reduce the debt of Government, and partly to reduce the claims owed to APS.
The Government will rent the building from SZV at a 6% value rate of the building and the investment needed to complete the building and furnish it.
