St. Maarten Private Eye

AIR-FIN AWARDED WATER DISTRIBUTION CONTRACT

Philipsburg---The Island Council of the Island Territory of St. Maarten voted unanimously for Air-Fin to execute the water contract for the island. Duringan Island Council meeting which was held at the Claude Wathey Legislative Hall on Thursday members of the Council voted six for the contract and three against.
The Island Council which reconvened to continue the discussion on the Water Supply contract was adjourned on May 21, 2007 to allow the Central Committee of the Island Territory to examine the facts and listen to presentations from the different companies who were interested in supplying water to the island. During this meeting Enerserve N.V. and Air-Fin did their presentations, which were debated on in that meeting.
During the debate on the issue, Opposition Council member George Pantophlet of the National Alliance who was first to speak posed eight questions to the Executive Council with regard to the contract. Among those were that the people have the right to be the masters of their own destiny and therefore the water should be in the hands of the people.
He also mentioned the IWACO report which stated that a water plant should have been built in the Pointe Blanche district so as to assist when there is a shortage.
He questioned if in the new contract with Air-Fin if there is a clause that the company cannot be sold. He asked if there would have been a new contract between GEBE and the new company. He further questioned if GEBE would be able to demand a fee for the use of their property.
Pantophlet questioned if the new company had a business license and if the government had owed GEBE for utilities and what were the figures.
Commissioner Roy Marlin answering the questions from the Opposition in the Council quoted from one of the daily newspaper which indicated that the former manager of GEBE Julius Lambert stated that he had noticed that the concept he had initiated had been questioned which was quite simple. Lambert added that nothing was wrong with it or what government was doing.
Lambert had told the government in 2005 that an increase in the capacity was needed and it was necessary that negotiations should start to increase the capacity at the lowest possible price. He added that government can either force the current supplier to come up with a better price, decide to outsource the water supply to another company or give it to GEBE to operate.
He stressed that it was about 18 months after that GEBE had indicated that they were interested in the process. He mentioned that the statements made by the former General Manager of GEBE Julius Lambert supports the initiative of the Executive Council.
With regard to the IWACO report he said that this report was done on the assumptions of economic activity in the area. He said that not because the report stated that a water plant should be built in the area that this must be done. “You must look at your growth patterns.”
He added that one cannot build a water plant in Ponte Blanche unless it fits into the economic growth and demand of the island. He stated that when the IWACO report was made the type of growth that now exists in the Low Lands district was not happening.
Marlin said that it is more economical to have the plant in that area instead of placing it in the Pointe Blanche area where it will cost more to produce it. He stated that with the plant in that area it will require some 18,000 cubic meters of water because of the growth. Therefore it is more feasible to build the plant there.
The meeting concluded with the Executive Council voting for Air-Fin being awarded the contract to supply the island with water.
Meanwhile, Enerserve N.V. representatives who attended that meeting preferred not to comment on the decision taken by the Island Council and said that they will accept the decision.
Willem Barendsen of Air-Fin in his comments said that he was very satisfied with the outcome of the meeting even though he thought that the questions that were presented at the Island Council meeting on Thursday were asked before. He said that the meeting was very informative and was glad that it turned out that way since he had already ordered a high pressure pump from Germany to put in the plant.
He promises the people that he will carry out the job efficiently and at a much lower price.

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