CAY BAY — The Prosecutor’s Office OM SXM has launched a preliminary criminal investigation into the major oil spill that occurred on Tuesday in the vicinity of the Cay Bay power plant of utilities company N.V. GEBE. The spill has led to an oil slick moving from Cay Bay/Simpson Bay into the Caribbean Sea. OM SXM met on Wednesday with the Dutch Caribbean Coastguard, the Police Force Sint Maarten KPSM, the Inspection Department of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, and the Maritime Inspection Department of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation, and Telecommunication…
Author: The Publisher
Dear Editor, I have been very interestingly following the efforts being made by MP Claudius Buncamper regarding Possible as well as Potential Government Revenue Streams of Income through various levying of Taxes that can be Presented and Approved by Parliament. In working on the level of Commissioners and Executive Councils of Sint Maarten in the past, I have come to realize that in order to resolve this Revenue Generating Matter, we need to approach it all in a very simplistic, realistic and practical manner, that we know can work, and will work. Those with experience in this Area know exactly…
~ Tackle tax reform before Dutch do it for you ~ PHILIPSBURG — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday said that the government of St. Maarten has to say once and for all if land and property taxes as proposed by the CFT is on the table for consideration and future implementation yes or no. Plain and simple, the MP said, government has to say whether it will entertain such suggestions and advice from the CFT or if it will inform CFT that such a suggestion is dead on arrival. “For me it already is,” the MP said.…
On Tuesday, July 6th, 2021 the parliament members of the Finance committee had a closed-door meeting with the CFT to be informed of the position of the CFT on the financial situation of the island. A presentation was made by the chairman of the CFT showing some of the financial issues we are facing, the recovery progress, the vaccine level not being up to par for the industry, the stayover numbers, the cruise numbers, etc. Also discussed was the amended 2020 budget deficit of some 197 million guilders or about 20% of our GDP. The budget 2021 presently has a…
~ VAllocates 440,000 for school materials and school breakfast program ~ PHILIPSBURG — As a Member of Parliament and an advocate for education and youth, Angelique Romou has been keeping a keen eye on the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport. She has been offering her contribution in her capacity, to ensure that the youth of St. Maarten receive all that they need to develop into well-rounded adults. While conducting research by visiting the various schools and gathering information from teachers and other staff, it has been identified that schools do not have enough monies to purchase necessary materials…
By Hilbert Haar If you managed your household finances the way the government deals with its taxpayer-funded financial responsibilities you would probably have a hell of a row with your better half. Related article: Audit Chamber presents devastating report about 2017 financial statements The compliance report from the General Audit Chamber about the government’s 2017 financial statements makes this much clear: financial management is an even bigger mess than anyone could imagine. And the Parliament, the institution that is supposed to control the Government, lets it happen, year after year after year. Just imagine that you spent, as the government…
PHILIPSBURG — The country’s 2017 financial statements contain “numerous errors and uncertainties,” the General Audit Chamber writes in its compliance audit St. Maarten Financial Statements 2017. “Expenditures were made for which no funds were budgeted, and income was not realized, or was below budget. We conclude that the 2017 financial statements do not provide a true representation of the government’s financial position as of December 31, 2017.” The auditors note that both the 2017 budget and the financial statements of the same year do not contain the information required by the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO). “If the budget is not…
PHILIPSBURG — A third of the expenditures listed in the draft 2021 budget is earmarked for “subsidies, contributions and income transfers.” Out of the budget’s total of 613.1 million guilders ($342.5 million), 204,579,785 ($114,3 million) falls into this category. Most of this money, 103.5 million ($57.8 million) is for the support of Social and Health Insurance SZV and the St. Maarten Medical Center. These contributions are split between “support” (63 million) and “fixed charges support” (40.5 million guilders). Expenditures for the Directory Safety (formerly the Security Service St. Maarten, VDSM) increase by 428,400 guilders (28.2 percent) to 1,947,618 guilders ($1.1…
PHILIPSBURG — Cost-cutting measures top the list of priorities at the Ministry of Finance, it appears from Minister Ardwell Irion’s presentation about the 2021 budget to Parliament. Focus points are fuel consumption and expenditures linked to the use of mobile phones. The draft budget closes with a deficit of 241.8 million guilders ($135.1 million), based on 613.1 million ($342.5 million) in expenditures and 371.3 million ($207.4 million) in projected revenue. For the next five years, the draft budget presents a rather rosy picture of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is projected to increase by 55.6 percent from 1.8 billion guilders…
By Hilbert Haar Did the Court in First Instance rule in favor of Justice Minister Anna Richardson? Or did it rule in favor of the unions? Politicians have a talent for calling something that is actually black, white. They have to believe their own fairy tales if only to keep their sanity. The provisional court ruling in the case of the justice ministry versus the unions that represent police officers and staff at the prison and the immigration and border patrol services is a classic example: both the minister and the unions seem to be happy with the outcome. Minister…
