Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran confirmed on Wednesday that the selection process for the management board of GEBE has been completed. He said the shareholder already selected the three candidates and the Supervisory Board of Directors are in the process of making contact with the selected candidates. Doran said after that the screening process should begin as long as the three candidates accept the positions.Last week the Council of Ministers selected Robert Jan James for the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Randel Hato for Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Merril Jimmy Timmer for Chief Operations Officer.While the Minister of VROMI said the process is nearing its ending phase the Supervisory Board of Directors of NV GEBE still has to cross the threshold of discussing the salaries with the incoming candidates. It is clear that the discussions with the incoming candidates and the screening will not be completed by October 31st and the SBOD of NV GEBE will have to install interim management while the process continues.One of the bigger questions is if the selected candidates for the position of CEO and CFO both of whom are working in the private sector as permanent employees will leave their positions will they are earning over NAF 20,000.00 monthly for a lesser amount for a period of 3 to 5 years.Asked by SMN News if the government as the Shareholder representative will ensure that the Government Owned companies go along with the 12.5% cut in salaries as demanded by the Dutch Government, Doran said that the 12.5% cut in salaries will be a point of discussion with the SOBOD of NV GEBE.Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said in her response to the question that the government already applied the 25% cut in salaries as demanded by the Dutch for personnel costs. She said the Minister of Finance is in discussion with the Government-owned companies on the 12.5% cut with government-owned companies but that discussion is not yet finalized.