By Hilbert Haar I am not a fiscal expert, let me make that clear from the get go, but I have a simple question. Have you ever wondered why things are the way they are? I ask myself that question a lot and now I think I have found the answer: because some people (and I have no clue who they are) want things to be the way they are. I have looked for a long time at the endless number of tax warrants that are published in the National Gazette every two weeks. I did not count them but…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — If you have ever wondered why the tax administration continues to publish dozens upon dozens of tax warrants in the National Gazette, you can find the answer in the latest audit report of the General Audit Chamber. The report examines the process and effectiveness of ex officio tax assessments the tax administration sends to those who have failed to file a tax return. The findings are rather shocking because the report states that the tax administration has no clue about the number and the value of the ex officio assessments and that it is therefore impossible to judge…
PHILIPSBURG — The old Government Administration Building will finally be demolished by a company called Limitless Infrastructure at a cost of approximately 660,000 guilders ($368,715). A ceremony to “celebrate” the demolition is planned for May 17, 2023. The demolition plans trigger an interesting question: what will happen with the statue of the legendary Claude Wathey that has been standing in front of the building for more than twenty years? The issue has also triggered questions about the statue’s ownership. The statue was presented to then Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams on July 24, 2000, but is unclear whether she received it as…
Dear Editor, Again and again, prosecutors operating in this territory are embarrassing our judicial system. They went on a house searching rampage, again, under the pretext of “fraud, forgery and taking bribery”, by MP Emanuel, during his tenure as a Minister, 7 years ago. It’s either they were pissed off with the MP being exonerated, that the prosecutor decided to try a “thing” again, or was aided and abetted by persons operating in government hierarchy. In their first investigation, which was initiated by a former Minister, did they overlooked the alleged bribery and forgery committed with others or were they…
PHILIPSBURG — The government expects a budget surplus of 4 million guilders ($2.2 million) in 2024, 9 million ($5 million) in 2025 and 15 million ($8.4 million) in 2026. This projection appears from a letter Cft-chair Lidewijde Ongering to Finance Minister Ardwell Irion in reaction to Cft-recommendations related to the approved 2023 budget. St. Maarten bases its projections on expected savings in 2024 that result from the execution of the country package. Because of (expected) economic growth, the country also expects to collect more tax revenue in 2025. The Cft recommended, based on the approved 2023 budget, to adjust the…
By Hilbert Haar Party for Progress-leader Melissa Gumbs has called political advertising during Carnival “tacky.” It is a clear reference to the overwhelming presence of Vision for St. Maarten, the banner chosen by the exonerated former director of the port, Mark Mingo who will be a candidate for the United People’s party (UP) during the next elections. Mingo’s decision to choose the Carnival-platform to make his future presence in the political arena known is of course a clever one but the question is now whether this will have consequences for future Carnival-events. The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation has opened…
PHILIPSBURG — A ruling from the Court in First Instance in Rotterdam could potentially have consequences for pending high profile appeal cases in St. Maarten, like the one that will determine the fate of suspended parliamentarian Claudius Buncamper. It is good to keep in mind that judges are independent, so they don’t have to follow a lead provided by near similar cases. Also keep in mind a quote from the latest Progress Committee report. It states that there is increased dissatisfaction among the population because white collar criminality is not punished while other crimes also do not result in incarceration.…
~ The amount of data being processed is equivalent to doing a census ~ PHILIPSBURG — Why does it take so long before the Ministry of Justice had completed all the necessary information about its staff members? Minister Anna Richardson took StMaartenNews.com on a tour to show what is happening behind the scenes: a monumental undertaking with a single goal: to make sure that in the end every individual staff member receives what is owed to them. Florence Marlin is the ministry’s Acting Secretary-General, its head of the Human Resources Department and also a member of the Placement Committee.…
Dear Editor, The increasing number of accidents is a tragic reality that demands immediate attention and action from our community to adhere to the traffic guidelines. I am writing to express my deep concern about the recent road fatalities in St. Maarten. Recent tragedies have caused many to mourn the loss of precious lives; therefore, it is imperative that we take steps to prevent further atrocities. Reckless driving, speeding, failure to adhere to traffic regulations, and driving under the influence have been identified as major contributing factors to these accidents. It is so disheartening to witness the devastating impact of…
By Hilbert Haar José Lake Jr. and Dr. Rhoda Arrindell are two prominent proponents of independence for St. Maarten. You have to admire and respect the efforts they tirelessly devote to this cause. The question is of course whether independence is good or bad for the people who live here – and that’s where the facts become fuzzy. There is no doubt in my mind that people are entitled to choose their own destiny. Independence or no independence, it does not really matter. If the people want to go one way or the other should not be an issue. In…
