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Dutch, French side chambers meet, discuss threats to trade
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Oct 26, 2005 15:12 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - The St. Maarten and St. Martin Chambers of Commerce met to discuss recent events that threaten trade and cooperation between the two sides of the island based on the more than 350-year-old Treaty of Concordia.
To deal with the problem and reach a resolution beneficial to both sides of the island, the Chambers have decided to form a Committee of Cooperation. Its members will be presented to Government and the general public shortly.
Following that meeting, President of the Dutch side Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ludwig Ouenniche said, “Whether or not the treaty was ratified, the fact is that there was a treaty and, in the words of Attorney Roland Duncan, ‘We should revisit the treaty and update it based on the same concept with the realities of the trade of today.’”
He said the two chambers had met on short notice because they were concerned. “We have to keep St. Maarten as a whole in mind.” He referred to the uniqueness of the island in that it was part French and part Dutch, and everyone coexisted peacefully, speaking English and trading freely amongst each other. He said it was the one thing that made the island “so competitive in the tourism market.”
French Chamber President Raymond Helligar said, “If we don’t find a way of cooperating, our island will be threatened, so we want to send a clear message to representatives on both sides of the island that this issue of free trade needs to be worked out.”
He said the chambers’ objective Tuesday was also to calm the situation, as it was possible to heighten emotions with hasty statements regarding the threat against the way of life that has been known in St. Maarten/St. Martin for 350 years.
He cited the failure of different agencies to take advice from the chambers as the reason for the issue being blown out of proportion. He said laws had been put in place for the protection of the way of life of the people of the island and mentioned the Committee of Cooperation, which is a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year.
The chambers explained that the Committee of Cooperation would deal with issues of health pertaining to the standard of goods traded between the two ides of the island, and security of the people on either side of the island.
Helligar said, “In keeping with the spirit of the Treaty of Concordia we have special privileges as a Frontier Country. I say the ‘spirit,’ because the laws must be changed to address the changes in times to come up with a treaty that can be ratified, and we will let the Governments of the French and Dutch sides know that we want to address this situation.”
Ouenniche noted that the Dutch side chamber was charged with being a public registry for businesses and by law to advise government “with or without its request.” He said that in that regard the chambers also wanted to ensure that trade was being carried out with the interest of the consumer first, then the business sector, which represents 80 per cent of the economy, and government.
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