PHILIPSBURG – Minister of VROMI Christophe Emmanuel gave a short status update to members of the press in Wednesday’s, April 19, Council of Ministers Press briefing.
In regard to the proposed housing development in Dawn Beach, representatives “will be here in May. They will give a full rundown.”
“I received an email from them today stating that they will be signing the agreement, and going over all the paperwork with the landowner, contracts with the developer. I think that part of it is for them to explain how they’re going to move forward with it when I was in Curaçao,” Minister Emmanuel informed.
“Everything was set and is in motion concerning the 167 homes that are supposed to be built in the Dawn Beach area,” he said.
Concerning the explosive letter that was printed in the media, the Minister said, “That’s just what it is for me. An explosive letter. And there’s not much I can comment on it. There’s no name to it. That is just an explosive letter.”
Minister Emmanuel reiterated Minister Emil Lee’s statement about journalists and media houses. They “have a role to play. To give factual information, and accurate information, because I can go and dissect that whole article, and I can tell you maybe 99 percent of the information is absolutely not true,” he said.
However, “I am moving forward and staying focused. I told the people of St. Maarten I’m going with this project, and that’s not a distraction to me one bit.”
In matters concerning the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF), “I said before that there’s a fundamental problem, in my opinion, in the way the management is functioning…But what I’m looking at is the manner in which you treat people, because you can’t go and build on property without getting all your permits first.”
“…Those are some of the problems, some of the issues that I’m having” with the SMHDF.
In addition, the Minister said, “I’ve had discussions with a few of the board members and I’ve indicated that they will make their position available, and I’m giving them time to do that.”
