Prime Minister Wescot-Williams Gives Update on Vorst Property Deal
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Minister of VROMI Hon. Maurice Lake’s vision for the Vorst property is a commercial center that includes a sewing center that could create 100+ jobs (persons sewing school uniforms, prison uniforms, hotels and many other businesses that require a uniform); a call center that could create another 100+; a mechanical shop to make traffic signs, license plates and other signage; public housing comprising of two and three bedroom units in a three to four level buildings for a total of 85 units for young professionals returning home from study. Regarding the price of the property, to lease the property would costs the government almost US$9million based on the binding letter of intent signed by the previous Minister of Justice, and Government would not own the land. Under the agreement by Minister Maurice Lake, government would purchase the property for US$5.5 million and own it outright. (Contributed by Minister Maurice Lake)
PHILIPSBURG - The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on her radio program One on One with the Prime Minister gave an update on the developments as they relate to the Vorst property case.
The PM stated that with the Court Verdict and that there is some concern with regards to the implications this will have for the country; “The Vorst case has culminated into a verdict that has been made known. The issue here is that at some point the colleague Ministers were made aware of an agreement signed by the Minister of Vromi with the Vorst Family for the purchase of a property in Cay Hill.
“That agreement was signed some months before and the owners were therefore demanding payment. When the Council of Ministers looked at the agreement there were some questions by the Ministers, including the payment amount for the land. At the end of the day it is not the Prime Minister or any other Minister but in fact the taxpayer’s money that is involved in purchasing of the property.
“With the purchase agreement made by the Minister of VROMI we found that the price was too high and that the taxpayer would not get their fair amount. We therefore asked the Vorst family to renegotiate but because the Minister made the decision to have a purchase agreement with the Family the court now has decided that the Government of St. Maarten, or the Tax payer, has to pay for that purchase, the price of which is way beyond that of the appraisal of the land. The government right now is in a bind because Ministers have not acted according to procedure.
“It is the responsibility of each individual Minister to ensure that they act in accordance with what is allowed and not allowed. We need to look at how far a Minister can commit a country and how far they can go on acting on behalf of Government. I also believe that this should always be public knowledge,” concluded the PM. (From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister)