DEVELOPMENT AGENDA GETS PRIORITY IN NEW WORKING AGREEMENT BETWEEN PUBLIC ENTITY ST. EUSTATIUS AND THE STATE OF THE NETHERLANDS

ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius  (15 June 2022) – The Public Entity St. Eustatius and the Central Government have signed a new working agreement to accelerate the pace of implementation of the island’s development agenda.

The agreement, signed on Tuesday 14 June by Government Commissioner Alida Francis and State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalisation Alexandra van Huffelen, covers eleven short-term priorities over a one-year period from 1 July, 2022 to 1 July, 2023. These priorities are part of a  Multi-year Implementation Plan 2022-2026 (MUAP) agreed during the mediation process between the Government Commissioners and the Island Council, as the basis for cooperation with the Central Government.

The priorities include poverty alleviation, social housing, sustainable agriculture and strategic plan for stray cattle, implementation of the current road plan, notarial and banking services, connectivity and sustainable air links, maintenance of current port facilities, improving the quality of care and researching the feasibility of dialysis and gynaecology, economic development, strengthening the telecom network and strengthening administrative and executive capacity.

 “It is critically important that we act with haste to implement the multi-year plan for the economic and social well-being of the people of St. Eustatius and to instil confidence in every resident that we are committed to transparency and good governance. With the Island Council elections due next March, the parties felt it necessary to concentrate on these most important priorities in the interim, with the long-term priorities to be agreed with the new Island Council,” revealed Ms. Francis at the signing which took place at the Golden Rock Resort just off the capital. 

“I am pleased that today we could sign this agreement. It is great that we could make progress that will improve the quality of life of the residents of St. Eustatius,” added Ms van Huffelen.

The agreement emphasises collaboration, not only between the public entity and the Netherlands, but also involving the Island Council. It outlines a series of steps and conditions for a positive and result-oriented approach to problem solving, including jointly agreeing resolutions to any bottlenecks in the implementation of the multi-year plan.