ORANJESTAD- Government Commissioner Alida Francis in her official speech on Statia Day 2021 says she feels positive about the future of the island. 

Francis referred to the many projects which came to live over the past years and months. “It can be seen in the inauguration of our brand-new FDR Airport terminal building and a tower, in the Makana Ferry Service before the end of 2021 which will connect St. Eustatius, Saba, Sint Maarten, and St. Kitts, in the Golden opportunity programme successfully completed by 24 Statians, many of whom are now employed at the new resort, in the new incinerator that’s part of our waste management plan and in the 10 per cent increase in the minimum wage effective January 1st, 2022.

And this is just the beginning. Come next year we’ll undertake several more projects such as the road Behind the Mountain, Phase 1 of Airport Boulevard, strengthening of the coastline at Lower Town and construction of a new and modern Gwendoline van Putten School for secondary education.

Democracy

Francis also referred to the impending return to ‘full democracy’ of the island. “An important milestone that we are working towards is the Restoration of Democracy with a robust civil service organization as its foundation. This calls for collaboration and synergy”, said Francis. The Government Commssioner also said that what the island was working on, now, was not ‘just for the present’ but actually for the but for the future of the island.