DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING

Disaster Committee receives training in Disaster Response. (Page. 3)

LETTER TO FIRST CHAMBER:

Executive Council outlines issues for evaluation.(Page. 5)

AT THE HARBOR

Operational Changes coming to Capt. L.A.I Chance Harbor.(Page. 7)

Based on the recommendations from the Harbor Audit, many training opportunities were suggested. Some of these were specific for persons working in the harbor and others were general. Commissioner of Harbor Affairs, Bruce Zagers, who initiated the Harbor audit, proposed that the general training be offered to other departments as well seeing that this could be a good opportunity for many of the civil servants to upgrade and enhance their skills.

The courses are designed to increase the organizational morale and also to make employees aware of what their responsibilities are as managers. The idea behind the management training was to increase the awareness of managers and supervisors in the organization that they are accountable for the decisions that they make and also for the way their departments function.

Endorsed by Priority Management

Resources because of the quality of the training he provides, Mr. David MacGregor of Training Development Center a subsidiary of Training Development Center of UTS was contracted to provide the needed courses. Mr. MacGregor has extensive experience in the areas of Leadership and Management training and customer service and has experience in both the United Kingdom and Country St. Maarten.

The first course offered “Leadership and You” was an insightful look into the various issues that managers encounter on a day to day basis. Areas covered included communication, conflict resolution, time management, delegation, how to give employees positive feedback and how to motivate workers. The course was filled with practical examples of how managers can improve dialogue with their employees, customers, how to identify potential conflicts and avoid Continued on page 2

NEWSLETTER

CIVIL SERVANTS PARTICIPATED IN A CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKSHOP

JUNE 2014 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

ISLAND GOVERNMENT OF SABA

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

Email: info@sabagov.nl and request

to be on the list!

Page 2

them, and also how to modify a person’s behavior during a conflict.

“How to build better teams” is another course which was offered to departments on how to work together to overcome various challenges. Course participants were given practical challenges and had to work as a team to secure the resources to find the solution.

The customer service course will be offered to departments that cater to the public on a regular basis. This course focuses on identifying who is a customer, basic customer service training, how to deal with angry customers and also telephone skills.

Another issue highlighted in the harbor report was communication within the department and also communication with the various stakeholders. They recommended that costumer service training be made a part of the training program because this will further increase awareness of the responsibilities that employees have to external stakeholders and the community in general.

Participants in the various courses have been extremely enthusiastic about the training they received. The Executive Council has already indicating that more training will be made available in the future.

Trainee, Robin Aerts from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment.

First King’s Day observed on Saba

The first King’s Day since the Inauguration of His Majesty King Willlem Alexander was celebrated on Saba. On April 25th the King’s Games were held for students of the primary school. The games were organized by ChildFocus and SabaFit. The King’s Games are an initiative of the King and are held in every school throughout the Kingdom on the same day. A breakfast is served and in no minor logistical

feat, every child in the Kingdom is also served the same breakfast package. This year a bag of party favors was alos given to the children. Even though there was no school many people volunteered to make this event possible and successful

On June 26th, the official holiday, there was an Ecumenical Service at the Mount Scenery Seventh Day Adventist Church. The cross denominational service was attended by Members of the Executive Council and the general public. After the service there was a reception on the church grounds.

Teambuilding Training: The teams had to make a collage depicting Saba. They were given nothing and had to find creative means to acquire the material they needed.

Page 3

roles and pinpoint what tasks to execute during a disaster.

During the exercise, the trainers used two previous full scale simulations as the basis for the charts developed for Saba. The simulations were part of the Hurex exercises that took place at the airport and harbor in collaboration with the military, in the previous two years. The airport scenario featured a twin otter crash at the airport, while the harbor scenario took into account what happen if a fire started in a restaurant and spread to the fuel tanks on the hillside. The cards look at alerting authorities, in what order should they be notified, prohibiting access to the scene, maintain the integrity of the scene, how to determine when external assistance is need and also how to provide assistance to victims and their families.

Now that the Disaster Committee has received training in how to develop the ABC Charts, they can also develop similar charts for other types of scenarios and other risks. A chart will be developed for disaster response during a hurricane in the near future. (And as future scale simulations are run through then charts will be developed for those as well.)

The Disaster Committee of the Public Entity of Saba recently took part in a training workshop on disaster response procedures. Given by representatives of the Fire Department of The Hague, the purpose of the training was to introduce a new tool to assist in the coordination of a response to a disaster.

The new tool is called an Ambtelijke Bestuur Checklist. This chart outlines what each group should do in a disaster. Developed in The Netherlands, the cards simplify disaster procedures and replace thick and complex manuals that were often useless during a disaster because they were filled with procedures and regulations that could not be practically accessed. In contrast with the ABC Cards members can readily see what tasks they should be focused on when disaster strikes.

The Disaster Committee is made up of 8 different functions or ESF Groups. These are Saba Electric Company, Satel, Public Works, Fire Department, Police, Public Health, Government Information Service, and airport and harbor. During a disaster each function is tasked with a specific responsibility. It is important for each function to know what their tasks are before a disaster. This tool will also help the groups identify their

DISASTER COMMITTEE RECEIVES TRAINING IN DISASTER RESPONSE.

Disaster Response Scenarios during annual Hurex Training at Airport 2012 (SHCF photo)

SHCF personnel tending to patient during HUREX Emergency training in Fort Bay 2013 (SHCF photo)

Page 4

homage to one of our very own nurses.

This nurse is one which I understand does not like to be in the spotlight so I apologize in advance about today. However, although whether she realizes it or not she is always in the spotlight when it concerns health care and nursing on Saba. This nurse has touched the lives of so many people since she started her nursing career on Saba on August 1st, 1980.

This nurse has gone above and beyond a job description. When short staffed she has worked in the clinic while helping to fill voids in the rotation for the wards. If need be she has driven the ambulance so that the sick could get the necessary medical attention they urgently needed. She has been the voice of reasoning and more importantly that comforting voice in good times and in bad times. She has witnessed the good and the bad, all with a good spirit. Her devotion to her profession, to Saba and the hospital is greatly appreciated and admired. Nurse Naomi, today we say thank you!

Nurse Naomi you are a true role model and we are very gracious for all you have done for Saba and what you continue to do. I am sure that you have been faced with many obstacles over the years but you have continued to be the exemplary nurse which everyone loves and respects. Your passion is second to none and we are truly grateful for the many sacrifices you have made over the years.

NURSES DAY 2014Text of Commissioner Bruce Zagers Speech on

Nurses Day 2014.

Today we are here to recognize and celebrate International Nurses Day. This is a day when we pay tribute to those who have chosen such a prestigious

and noble career. Your c o n t i n u o u s dedication and contr ibut ions to society, and s p e c i f i c a l l y Saba, are worthy of much praise. We are very grateful for your patience,

your passion, your dedication, the love and care you give to our people. On behalf of the Executive Council and the people of Saba, I say thank you.

Today, May 12, is a day that coincides with the birth date of Florence Nightingale, who is fondly known as the visionary who founded modern nursing. Her contributions towards nursing are known worldwide and the fruits of her efforts are celebrated yearly. Today however, although we recognize the accomplishments of Ms. Nightingale, we must pay

Nurses of SHCF and invited guest during the Nurses Day Celebration at the Hospital.

Page 5

In February of this year Commissioners Chris Johnson and Bruce Zagers sent a letter to the members of the Kingdom relations outlining the issues that have faced the island since the transition and which should be included in the evaluation. The letter was sent in Dutch.Here is the translated version:

Introduction

In the information of the Council of State of February 4, 2014 concerning the evaluation of the political structure of the BES, the following is written:

“An evaluation can hardly be limited to the effect of legislation from this perspective. In an evaluation, depending on the selected objective, the implementation of administrative agreements and the functioning of certain structures, arrangements, and forms of cooperation can be considered in a more general sense. This is particularly obvious in an evaluation such as this one. For a new political structure was created for the islands, which has extensive and complex consequences for the population in many areas. From this perspective, only an evaluation of the laws is too limited.”

Based on the above, the Council proposes to evaluate the following beside an evaluation of the effect of legislation and the new administrative structure:

“The consequences of the transition to the new political situation for the population of the islands; what are the concrete social effects hereof that can be noticed in everyday life? The question concerning the level of facilities in the BES is related to this question.”

Evaluation topics

The administration of the Public Entity of Saba endorses the information given by the Council of State. Although the Council of State rightly notes that the evaluation is only a form of looking back, and changes for the future are not part hereof, strictly speaking, we still want to pay attention to possible changes to the system, which will depend on political agreement in this regard, however. In our opinion, the following areas have to be paid attention to in the evaluation:

Social domain

It is clear to everyone that the level of the General Old Age Insurance (“AOV”) and welfare are far below the poverty line. This is also caused by the fact that the

minimum wages fixed by law are not in keeping with the economic reality in Saba. In vain, both employers and the government mentioned to the State Secretary of Social Affairs that the minimum wages actually paid are considerably higher than the minimum fixed by the Department of Social Affairs by law. A NIBUD study recently conducted in Bonaire provides an objective figure what the minimum income should be in order not to fall into the poverty trap. Although the study cannot be applied to Saba 1 on 1, the results certainly provide a framework, the more so as Saba’s price level is higher than Bonaire’s.

Creation of legislation

The differences between the islands are taken into account insufficiently. There is BES legislation without differentiation or prioritization, although it should be clear that there are major differences between for instance Bonaire and Saba. This leads to unworkable Acts on a small island like Saba. Below please find a non-exhaustive list of Acts that are impossible to implement in Saba:

• Act VROMBES (Act Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment) – cannot be implemented because it is so complex;

• Electricity Act – allowing private individuals to generate (green) power means killing the local power company, so that the majority of the population cannot buy power or has to buy very expensive power;

• Building Decree BES – impossible to apply because of structure and location of the island.

Unnecessary bureaucracy and mania for regulation

Prioritization to arrive at legislation is induced by the “The Hague” government’s mania for regulation and is not based on a need felt by the islands to regulate matters by legislation. A non-exhaustive list can be made of this, too:

• Border control – although almost all cross-border traffic through the airport and seaport is related to persons coming from another country within the Kingdom (St. Maarten), who have consequently already been checked there, everyone’s passport is scanned and stamped upon arrival and departure (which is not even applicable to the 100% control at Schiphol); Continued on page 6

COMMISSIONERS‘ LETTER TO THE KINGDOM RELATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE FIRST CHAMBER

Page 6

• Shipping inspection – although all the shipping traffic comes from surrounding islands (including St. Maarten), which have their own shipping inspection, ships that come to Saba often are subjected to a detailed investigation, so that ships go to other islands (cruise ships) or it is difficult to conclude a contract with ships that transport waste, for instance. This leads to either less income (cruise ships that go somewhere else) or higher expenses (more expensive contracts for material removal);

• Immigration and Naturalization Service – a term of several months for crucial and sometimes very specialist positions for which no local employees are available (for instance professors in medical school, diving instructors, restaurant chefs) is not acceptable. The Governing Council is of the opinion, as is the business community, that this service and the labor inspection can be performed more efficiently on a local level.

Tax system

The general spending tax collection in Saba is not efficient and leads to avoidable costs. Collection of import duties by customs officers coming from Bonaire leads to high hotel expenses and other accommodation expenses, which can easily be avoided by collecting a different tax leading to the same (tax) income (for instance turnover tax).

The NIBUD study conducted in Bonaire should also be a reason to consider whether additional fiscal measures are necessary, so that the lower incomes are spared more than until this moment.

Elections Act

The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations considers it undesirable that non-Netherlands citizens can (indirectly) vote for the formation of the Senate. But with this he completely disregards the fact that these people often have an important share in the (economic) development of the island they live in and they are deprived of the right to participate in elections for the local government.

Other points of attention

Beside the above points that are important to the evaluation, there are 2 other bottlenecks that deserve attention:

Harbor maintenance

The Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment answered in reply to questions of D66 that the harbor

maintenance is a responsibility of the harbor. This is not disputed in itself, but two matters make it impossible for the Public Entity to perform this task:

• On February 12, 2013, Ideeversa published a report with the results of a benchmark study. This report established as objectively as possible, based on the results of this study, what the Public Entities need to be able to implement their statutory duties. Based on this study, the free benefit was also fixed. So the harbor maintenance should also be paid from the free benefit. However, the report shows that the maintenance expenses of the harbor were not taken into account. These are $300,000 on an annual basis and were consequently not included in the free benefit.

• An independent engineering consultant established that the overdue maintenance to the harbor will cost over $3 million. The Public Entity, with a budget of $10 million, half of which is meant for personnel costs, cannot release this kind of amount.

Officially, the view of the Public Entity is not disputed, but the Minister does not seem to have the political will to break the deadlock.

Development plans

The government has indicated to embrace the BES development plans. The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations recently stated that the islands have to set priorities for the execution of the development plans themselves within their budgets. In other words, the government embraces the plans, but does not attach any (financial) consequences to them.

As stated earlier, Ideeversa conducted a benchmark study to objectively establish what is needed financially to perform the statutory duties required. The study acknowledges that there are important infrastructural and other arrears on the islands which were not taken into account in the system of standards (benchmark) created, however. When this system of standards was established, one proceeded on a minimum (what is really minimally required to be able to perform the statutory duties) and a maximum (when the statutory duties can be performed at a somewhat more adequate level). The government decided to fix the free benefit at the minimum (minimum level of execution). If the government now states that it embraces the development plans but on the other hand establishes that the islands themselves have to set the priorities within their existing financial framework, this is duplicitous and unfeasible.

Continued on page 7

Page 7

How should a Public Entity catch up with arrears acknowledged by everyone if their benefit is only based on the minimal performance of the statutory duties. If the government does not intend to assist financially, it should say: your development plans are castles in the air that will never be realized, for we will not contribute one penny.

Transportation costs

Saba residents depend on the neighboring island St. Maarten for many things, but the cost of notably air transportation with Winair are very steep for a trip of less than 15 minutes. These costs do not only weigh heavily on the residents of the island, but also affect tourism negatively.

In conclusion

Without wanting to anticipate on the evaluation, it is clear to the Public Entity that setting priorities for existing and future legislation should not be the primacy of “The Hague”, but should be realized in close consultation

with the Public Entity involved. An example hereof can be the priority that the conservation and development of the natural environment in the Dutch Caribbean is given, whereas too little attention is paid to combating poverty.

One also explicitly has to consider differentiation within the BES Acts if the special circumstances of a Public Entity give rise to it. This should make it possible to reduce the administrative activity and the related unnecessary expenses. These cutbacks can be used to reduce existing social and economic deprivation.

C.S. Johnson, Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs

B. Zagers, Commissioner of Finance

undertaken at the port.

The decision to carry out an audit was taken by the Executive Council and was based on consultation with the stakeholders at the harbor. The Executive Council felt that the input from the stakeholders was critical to the success of operations executed in Fort Bay.

While most people are aware of a limited number operations that take place at the harbor, primarily cargo and ferry operations, there are a substantial amount of stakeholders because of the varied functions that are executed there. These included handling of fuel, construction material, containerized cargo and other users such as pleasure boats, dive operators, small cruise vessels, commercial and sport fishing vessels. There are other organizations that must be located at the harbor due of their mandate to execute regulatory oversight such as the Saba Marine Park, the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, Customs,The Royal Marechaussee and The Dutch Navy.

Because of the extensive mix of stakeholders and tasks Continued on page 8

Operational Changes coming to Capt. L.A.I

Chance HarborThe Capt. L. A. I. Chance Harbor, the only cargo facility that serves the business sector and the people of Saba, will be going through significant operational changes in the short and long term future. The changes, some that will be visible to the public and others that will not be as visible, are based on an operational audit that was carried out by Priority Resource Management, a St. Maarten based company. The aim of the audit was to assess port operations with a view towards optimizing the various functions

The harbor has a wide range of stake holders that conduct a diverse range of tasks

Page 8

at the harbor the Executive Council’s position is that island’s principal entry point must be well organized, customer friendly and must communicate effectively with all stakeholders. The facility of course must be able to accommodate all users. The audit therefore focused on recommendations that will improve operations, policies and communications for the benefit of all stakeholders and beneficiaries.

In the past activities carried out at the harbor have been based on a system of accepted customs, and in some instances there were no documented rules and documented procedure. This happened mainly due to the small size of the port, therefore changes cannot be implemented rigidly but must be done in a gradual manner. In light of this the Executive Council found

it necessary to look at the Harbor Ordinance and adjust it as necessary, this will soon be published so that all stakeholders are aware of what services provided and other related information.

A website will be established where all users and stakeholders can view relevant rules and regulations. Vessels that would like to visit the island will also be able to see the rates, contact information and procedures.

Another recommendation and one which was immediately taken into consideration by the Executive Council was the training and development of all employees to sensitize them to their responsibilities and in the coming months, there will be training courses including STCW Basic Safety, ISPS Security Course and Basic Firefighting. These courses will be given by experienced industry organizations. When these courses are completed employees there are expected have a much better understanding of their jobs.

Because the harbor facilates economic activity the Executive Council believes that changes and recommendations as submitted in the audit will lead to a better experience at the port for all stakeholders.

Produced by the Office of GIS for the Public Entity of Saba and printed with the cooperation of Island Communication Services

Any questions or comments, please contact GIS Officer, Vito Charles: info@sabagov.nl

The only cargo facility that serves the business sector and the people of Saba.