“Once again our territory is facing an unprecedented crisis. After Hurricane Irma hit in September 2017, it is today a global health crisis that is threatening the life of our companies and the survival of our jobs.

First of all, I wanted to assure you of the full support of all of the elected officials of the Territorial Council of Saint-Martin.

It took us several days of active work with my teams and our financial partners to identify the room for maneuver we have to support you as effectively as possible.

In addition to the national measures announced by the government, our action consists in giving you the means to conserve cash to avoid as much as possible the closings of companies and therefore, protect jobs.

This unprecedented episode is a challenge for our Collectivity as for all communities in France.

We are discovering, on the fly, how to apply national measures and we must ensure the eligibility of our territory, a community with specific status, so that YOU be able to benefit from all the emergency measures put in place by the State and the Community.

We are sailing by sight, but this does not affect our commitment to act for you.

Thus, as a first step, I will propose to our assembly a series of tax measures in order to postpone the payment deadlines for direct and indirect taxes for businesses in difficulty.

We therefore hope that the payments of the TGCA and the corporate tax will be postponed to December 31, 2020 and that the payment of the contribution of the patent will be postponed to 2021 for these companies in difficulty.

The details of these measures and a form to be completed for the companies concerned will be available next week on the Community's website.

Then, our companies will be able to benefit from the solidarity fund.

Aid of 1500 euros will be paid to very small businesses and the self-employed.

And because we want to ensure that as many of you as possible receive this emergency assistance, I decided, with my team, to multiply by 10 the participation of the Collectivity provided for by the ordinance of the President of the Republic.

This is why the relief fund for Saint-Martin will amount to 800 euros, with a participation of 000 euros from the Collectivity, made available on our budget.

Over 500 businesses in Saint Martin will benefit from this aid.

If necessary, the Collective will be ready to abound beyond this first device.

I wanted the effort of our Collectivity to be up to the crisis we are going through and the difficulties you are encountering: an exceptional effort!

I will propose to our next assembly the establishment ofan emergency fund of 5 million euros to support you, in particular to replenish cash allowing you to rebound after the crisis.

Like all the Regions of France, we are still awaiting answers as to the financial intervention methods of the communities.

We will explain the steps to take to benefit from this exceptional fund.

Finally, we have taken all the measures to speed up the payment of most of the suppliers and service providers of the Community.

Our services and those of the Public Treasury have been hard at work, since the beginning of this crisis, to make all the payments that we can honor.

My dear friends, this is almost 6 million euros, firstly, who come to respond to the emergency that we are experiencing collectively.

Let us not forget that we still have many challenges to overcome to improve our infrastructure, our public spaces and our living environment and revive the attractiveness of Saint-Martin.

We therefore need to keep to the maximum the public investment capacity necessary for the development of our economy.

Of course, we will have to go further, together.

The successive crises that we have experienced in recent years, in recent months, force us to rethink the objectives that we share for the economic development of Saint Martin.

I will take this time of reflection and consultation with representatives of Saint-Martin businesses.

Rest assured that my team and I are fully committed to safeguarding jobs and the economy of Saint-Martin.

Beyond the measures necessary to support our businesses, whatever their size, our collective duty is to make every effort to overcome this crisis, above all health.

I know the commitment of the people mobilized daily to resolve it, in particular the health and administrative staff who are entirely devoted to the health and administrative preparation of the territory.

I salute their exemplary commitment to the service of the inhabitants of Saint-Martin and the involvement of those of our fellow citizens who have taken the measure of the instructions to be respected to limit the spread of the virus.

Solidarity, good citizenship and everyone's full responsibility must be at the heart of this struggle.

So i ask to each of you to follow strict confinement instructions and protective measures with the utmost rigor.

They are currently our only bulwark against the COVID-19 epidemic.

This fight, it is together that we will win it ”.

 6,307 total views

0

0