Island Government of Saba

Saba Commissioner Chris Johnson (right) shakes hands
with Dutch State Secretary Ank Bijleveld-Schouten after
signing the agreement for the eventual transfers of civil servants
in the education fi eld to the care of the Netherlands.
This transfer will not include teachers working in Saba as
they are employed by several school boards/foundations.

WILLEMSTAD–Saba and
St. Eustatius are moving
ahead with their preparations
to become public entities
of the Netherlands
without Bonaire, which
also should attain this status
possibly before the end
of next year.
Saba Commissioner Chris
Johnson and St. Eustatius
Commissioner Julian
Woodley signed agreements
for the eventual transfer of
Education Department civil
servants to the care of the
Netherlands in Plaza Hotel,
Curaçao, on Wednesday.
Bonaire did not sign a
similar agreement because
a new Executive Council
had been installed just over
a week ago and requested
time to become acquainted
with the constitutional
process from within, as its
members had been in the
opposition for some time.

This technical agreement
is “a very broad one” that
simply outlines that when
the islands achieve the new
constitutional status the
civil servants attached to
government in the education
fi eld will be taken over
by the Netherlands.
Johnson pointed out that
the agreement did not go as
far as dealing with salary,
benefi ts and related items.
The focus is on the eventual
transfer of the civil
servants. The agreements
do not cover teachers who
are employed with school
boards/foundations.

Saba and St. Eustatius are
committed to moving the
process along, he added.
It is understandable that
members of the new government
in Bonaire would
need time to get their feet
wet, but the other two islands
will not be sitting still,
he added.
Many agreements have
been made in relation to
the formation of the BES
islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius
and Saba as public
entities of the Netherlands.
Each island has responsibilities
to its people and it
is with this in mind that two
are forging forward, Johnson
said.
He thanked the Dutch and
Central Governments for
staying committed to the
process and signing agreements
with the two islands.
He now wants to sit with
St. Maarten to look at areas
of common concern that are
affected or will change with
the attainment of country
status by St. Maarten and
public entity for Saba by the
end of 2010. (Alita Singh)

SOURCE:  The Daily Herald, July 25th 2009

admin Const. Affairs, General