THE VALLEY-The planned increase in fares has been temporarily postponed for a week. 

According to a statement from Makana, as the Public Entities work together to ‘navigate the current challenges of the operation’, Makana remains committed to serving the people of Saba and Statia.

Currently, negotiations are ongoing to reach a broader Public Service Obligation (PSO)-agreement with the Governments of St. Eustatius and Saba.

Issues

Funds for the continuation of subsidized services have been made available by State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen. However, negotiations were held up for some times and allegedly mostly because of some issues on the side of St. Eustatius. 

The Government of St. Eustatius has been less than informative about the issues encountered, or the challenges faced in reaching the new agreement, which will benefit the residents of both islands.