PHILIPSBURG–A corps of some seventeen strong is expected to staff the renovated and repurposed local branch of the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten when the operations are at full capacity. Vacancy advertisements are expected to be posted soon by the financial institution.
When bank operations started in the building in 1984, it had a full-time staff of three persons serving the then Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles. In the past decades, it has grown to the present count of five. The increase of staff in the coming months to create a fully operational branch is linked to legislation and agreements made in 2010 upon the formation of the monetary union with Curaçao.
At present, the finishing touches were on the way in the Central Bank building on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road. The renovation with a price tag of some NAf. 12.7 million is expected to be complete by August.
Acting Central Bank President Jerald “Jerry” Hasselmeyer hosted members of the Council of Ministers along with Curaçao Finance Minister Kenneth Gijsbertha and the press on two separate tours of the building on Monday. The tours were aimed at highlighting the changes made to the building that date back to 1984. A similar tour will be conducted by Members of Parliament (MPs) today, Tuesday.
The tours were conducted now, because the renovations are “at a point worth sharing with the people of St. Maarten,” Hasselmeyer said.
One major change to the building is the repurposing of the top floor into executive offices. This floor once housed apartments for bank staff that flew in from Curaçao. The need for apartments is no longer there with plans to fully staff the bank, rendering the apartments obsolete.
The first floor will house the operational hub of the Central Bank and the ground floor will serve a semi-public function, explained site manager Elso Kraai on the tour.
The renovation of the Central Bank branch is carried out by Betonbouw Caribbean Construction and several subcontractors.
Bron: CuracaoChronicle