The deputy for Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, Claire Guion-Firmin questioned, last Wednesday, Annick Girardin, the Minister of Overseas France on the economic policy carried out overseas, as part of the week of control of the government action.
"A few months before a new hurricane season that the population apprehends strongly, everything remains to be rebuilt on the island of Saint-Martin," said the Member of the Northern Islands in the hemiclyque.
The economy is struggling to restart and at best we can hope for a recovery in tourism for the 2019/2020 season.
Companies are still awaiting insurance and compensation expertise. We fear that they will file for bankruptcy and lay off their employees, which would be as dramatic from an economic as a human perspective.
In the absence of statistical studies, Saint-Martin is in a “blind spot” of public policies, the needs are thus extremely difficult to establish, which prevents from carrying out a true economic policy in the community.
A price index must be established, a GDP evaluated, we have neither a poverty rate calculation, nor data relating to foreign trade; in short, what all French communities benefit from.
We hope to create an INSEE office in Saint-Martin.
While the European Commission requests updated economic data in order to establish the Multi-annual Operational Programs and to designate the managing authorities, this lack of reliable evaluation tools risks handicapping us even more.
For the 2021-2027 budgetary programming period, given the scale of the reconstruction project, Saint-Martin must be able to manage the funding granted to it by Europe independently.
On the other hand, Commissioner Madame Cretu announced the granting of aid for natural disasters of 49 million euros under the EUSF. Madam Minister, we are wondering about the breakdown of this aid between the overseas communities concerned and the State.
No effort should be saved to raise Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy ”.
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