Following the publication of Saint-Martin's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by INSEE and IEDOM, Vincent Berton, Delegate Prefect of the Northern Islands, calls for caution: "I prefer a positive reading of GDP, not because I am stupidly optimistic, but because I am convinced that Saint-Martin is on a good economic development curve”.
As a reminder, the GDP of Saint-Martin calculated in 2021 amounts to €17.000 per inhabitant (down -17% since 2016) compared to €26.854 for Sint Maarten (higher by 58% compared to 101% in 2017 compared to Saint-Martin ). According to the politician, this GDP is not based on company balance sheet reports and does not reflect the reality of the territory, it would be more interesting to calculate the total GDP of the island in view of the many interactions between the French part and the Dutch part: "INSEE wants to undertake this, which would give a more convincing result". The new figures are not bad news for Vincent Berton, nor a sign of an impoverishment of the Saint-Martinois, they show a return to the Covid front, but not yet to the Irma front. Convinced that the territory is on the way to economic recovery, the prefect insisted on recalling the role of guarantor of the State, and not that of policeman, in supporting the Collectivity on its skills, the management of fundamentals and healthy competition in order to position Saint-Martin on a high-end and quality tourism offer. Vision shared by Louis Mussington, president of the Collectivité, who qualifies the partnership with the State as “serious and dynamic”. _VX
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