Despite their collectivity and state status in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, granting them a certain number of powers to manage their territory, Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten received help from France and the Netherlands the day after Hurricane Irma. Comparison of the support received and announced to date.
Emergency aid
France and the Netherlands organized an airlift to transport emergency aid the day after Irma's passage. The aid provided by France amounts to 100 million euros and that of the Netherlands to 55 million.
Financial support to local governments
Aware that the community of Saint-Martin and the government of Sint Maarten are deprived of revenue due to a significant drop in economic activity in particular, the two States wished to provide cash aid.
Paris has committed to pay 62 million to the COM (12,2 million in 2017 and 50 million in 2018) to enable it to operate and ensure its expenses (salaries, suppliers, etc.). This is non-repayable aid. The State will help the COM in 2019 according to its needs.
The Netherlands granted $ 27,7 million (50 million guilders). It is a zero-rate loan repayable from 2023 over thirty years to meet operating expenses. 7 million had already been granted a few weeks ago.
Reconstruction
To date, the Netherlands has announced an envelope of 550 million euros for the reconstruction of Sint Maarten. Few details have been given so far regarding the allocation procedures and timing. According to what has been declared, this 550 million euros should take the form of non-repayable aid and loans in several installments.
On the French side, the Prime Minister announced during his visit in early November the establishment of a multi-year investment plan, the development of which is done in collaboration with the community. This plan and its funding will be announced at the end of March.
Aid to the socio-economic world *
France has so far released 4 million euros for businesses via restart aid. In addition, it funded the partial activity mechanism to the tune of 10 million euros (figure at the start of January 2018) which benefits some 7 people. It also implemented the Cohésia card for the most disadvantaged people; to date, this represents between 200 and 2 million euros.
In Sint Maarten, no system for businesses and people who find themselves unemployed has been put in place.
* These figures are being validated and updated by the various government departments.
To date, France has released 178 million euros for Saint-Martin. The Netherlands granted 84 million euros, including 22,7 million euros in the form of a loan. They have already announced 550 million for reconstruction; France will reveal its commitments at the end of March. (source: www.soualigapost.com)
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