The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) has launched a household survey to gather data on various social and economic conditions.

Called the socio-economic needs assessment (SENA), the statistical information gathered through this survey will be used for the planning and development of policies in Sint Maarten.

The survey is being conducted in collaboration with the Department of Statistics (STAT) of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) and will run from March 5 to May 31, 2022.

Data collectors will visit 3,000 randomly selected households between the hours of 8:00am and 7:00pm. Data collectors must present a government-approved identification badge before the start of the interview and are required to follow the COVID-19 protocols established by the Government of Sint Maarten.

If approached, persons are encouraged to participate by honestly answering the questions asked about themselves and their household. The information provided will remain anonymous and confidential.

The SENA’s results will be the foundation of data-driven policy development that caters to the country’s current needs. As the living and employment conditions of many persons may have changed since the passing of Hurricane Irma and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this exercise aims to collect up-to-date and accurate data to develop policies that can better serve the Sint Maarten community.

“I encourage you to take some time and cooperate in completing the SENA. Your cooperation is critical, as the information gathered will benefit ‘you’ in the future by allowing the Government to better create policies based on the needs of the community,” said VSA Minister Omar Ottley.

The SENA is part of the second component of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund’s Emergency Income Support Training Program (EISTP).

“The various projects of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund seek not only to rebuild the country after Hurricane Irma, but also to improve our resilience to future disasters. The second component of the EISTP is aimed at the latter, as it provides the Government with vital social and economic data that can be used to plan, protect, respond and recover more effectively,” said NRPB Director Claret Connor.

The Sint Maarten Trust Fund is financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten.