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Jewelry Blogger Commentary - Retake on St. Maarten - Cruise Ship Jewelry Sales
Seems that those in the cruise line industry take umbrage to our article on St. Maarten and on board jewelry ship sales. If the major cruise lines disagree with anything stated within the article, you are more than welcome to leave your comments and/or even submit a rebuttal for publication on Jewelry Blogger.
However, it would appear as though a rebuttal might be a bit too far reaching, as to deny the contents of the article would require the cruise lines to specifically state the following:
1 - We do not drive cruise passenger traffic into jewelry stores in St. Maarten, St. Thomas (or any other jewelry store in the Caribbean) for a fee or commission.
2 - Our port shopping guides on board our ships do NOT work for the cruise lines directly, they are sub-contractors. By the way, here's a list of the sub-contractors who work for us (the cruise lines).
3 - Our Port Shopping Jewelry Guarantee Program is NOT used as an inventory control system to ensure we are paid by participating jewelry stores in St. Maarten (or in St. Thomas), based upon sales of jewelry to cruise ship passengers. We do NOT receive a commission of any kind from jewelry sales. In other words, (plain language) we make nothing from port of call jewelry stores we recommend to passengers via our Port Shopping Guide talks or on board media.
The article appearing on Jewelry Blogger will stand "as is". In addition, for those who have not seen what all the fuss is about - take a look...
http://jewelryblogger.com/2007/08/08/somethings-gotta-give-in-st-maarten.aspx
We also have not heard a peep from the Indian Merchant's Association on St. Maarten.
Categories: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Diamond Jewelry, diamonds international, Jewelry News, Cruise Lines, Cruise Ships
Well where would you go to find the Indian Merchants Association? If you go to the side of Office World (Indian Owned) at Walter Nisbeth Rd #54 and to go the alley between Office World and Marcus Building, you will see a small sign "INDIAN MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION". I have never seen anyone enter or leave there. The article certainly exposes their scam, but they have so many others running, this one won't hurt them too much. They rotate their staff through the stores usually owned by relatives. But because they pay taxes and few of the local do, they appear to government as a cash cow. But in return for those high prices they pay to run their businesses, they can do anything they want to the tourist and locals alike. They pay around $750 a month to have one of their children educated. Now ask a local St Maartiner if they can afford to pay that kind of money. The official wage on the island is exactly the same, $750 or 1350NAf. You are right Mr. LaRouche, something's gotta give. And do you honestly think the local population benefits from these cruise passengers? Think on that and I may contribute further to that discussion.
JB Response: I do not think the cruise ship passengers help the local economy, only those who have established themselves on Front Street. Whether an Indian Merchant owns a jewelry store, food store or any other type of retail business on SXM - their community - their people - advance financially and the rest of the community is left to their own device.
As you clearly stated, the cost to send a child to school is $750.00 and the average wage is $750.00. Unless the SXM government acts to impose import taxes on jewelry and, levels the playing field to be EQUAL to those who truly are St. Maartiner's, the situation will deteriorate the point of no return.
St. Maartiner's will be forced from their homes and to sell their land on the cheap and their businesses to relocate elsewhere.
The cruise ship industry should be forced to pay heavily to enter into SXM and those dollars MUST find their way back to St. Maartiner's. Here's one example; in Alaska, every resident benefits from receiving checks (substantial checks) due to the fact that they have lived in Alaska and Alaska's main resource is oil.
The main resource on SXM is the tourist trade however, it is those who came to SXM (with plenty of money) to set up businesses who are reaping the rewards.
The man or woman who runs for office in SXM (in the future) should use this platform for reform. The cruise lines must pay to play in SXM, the IMA must pay for exclusivity (which they've had for many years) and those dollars must enrich the community as a whole.
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