Audit Chamber doubts whether lowering rental costs is feasible
PHILIPSBURG — “We question if the goals set forth in the country package are realistic,” the General Audit Chamber states in its audit on the possibilities of rent reduction for government. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs signed the agreement for the country package in December 2020. One of the measures mentioned in this deal is a 20 percent More...
High power-distance
By Hilbert Haar A recent article by Malcolm Gladwell about his experiences at a Mennonite wedding in Southern Ontario sheds a bright light on the way people interact with each other (or not). His thoughts about More...
New debate about double turnover tax on fuel prices
PHILIPSBURG — Eight years ago, financial expert Emilio Kalmera pointed out how the government abuses the turnover tax-system by applying this levy twice to the price of gasoline and diesel: once to the wholesale More...
Kingdom decides Friday about retraction of salary-cut for civil servants
PHILIPSBURG — The Kingdom Council of Ministers decides next Friday, June 24, whether St. Maarten gets permission to terminate the 12.5 percent pay-cut for civil servants. For a positive outcome, the government More...
Audit Chamber issues adverse opinion about 2020 financial statements
PHILIPSBURG — The government is not very good at managing the money it has at its disposal to run the country. This becomes clear once more from the General Audit’s Chamber audit of the country’s 2020 More...
Conditions for retracting 12.5 percent salary cut remain a mystery
PHILIPSBURG — The Kingdom Council of Ministers will take a decision about the eight conditions St. Maarten will have to meet in exchange for permission to drop the 12.5 percent salary cut for government employees More...
OM confiscates some US$359,513 over four years; to focus on collecting more criminal funds
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten (23 May 2022) – Fighting and preventing further crimes in the community are not only dependent on putting (suspected) criminals behind bars; it is also essential to cut off the ill-acquired More...
Road tax disappears unlawfully into general budget
PHILIPSBURG — In 2009 a detailed draft report estimated there was a road network maintenance backlog worth at least 360 million guilders ($201.1 million). During the following twelve to thirteen years, the More...
Cft advises the introduction of casino- and import taxes
PHILIPSBURG — Financial supervisor Cft is highly critical of St. Maarten’s budget for the year 2022. Because tax revenue is falling 12 million guilders ($6.7 million) behind 2019-levels, the Cft advises More...
Audit Chamber gives negative opinion about 2019 financial statements
PHILIPSBURG — The General Audit Chamber confirms in its compliance audit of St. Maarten’s financial statement for the year 2019 what has been a headache ever since the territory obtained autonomy within More...
