Going independent affects government’s liquidity position

PHILIPSBURG — The new makeup of Parliament with nine factions and five independent MPs has some financial consequences, it appears from answers by Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to questions posed by MP Angélique Roumou.

While an increase in expenditures for additional support staff was not budgeted, Irion writes that the monthly costs will increase by 33,016 guilders per month for the remaining three months of the year: a total of 99,048 guilders ($55,334).

“If these costs cannot be absorbed in the budget of the Parliament this means that the budget deficit will increase,” the minister writes.

Roumou also wanted to know whether these expenditures are taking away “from much needed monies for government departments and divisions.” Irion: “The liquidity position of the government will be affected.”

Other questions were about the travel budget of Parliament. Irion wrote that the budgeted 195,843 guilders for the trip to the latest IPKO meeting was completely spent, but that the costs for one additional MP are still being calculated.

The total travel budget for 2022 is 712,750 (652,750 guilders for parliamentarians plus 60,000 guilders for the secretary-general of parliament).

“Deducting the costs of IPKO and Parlatino meetings, 390,073 guilders of the budget remains,” Irion states.

This means that parliamentarians spent 126,834 guilders for travel to Parlatino meetings, which seems slightly higher than what the minister reports: 104,520 guilders in expenditures for trips to Parlatino meetings in February and June of this year. The first trip was attended by two MPs, the second one by six parliamentarians, the secretary-general and one member of his support staff.

The budget for parliament factions and faction support staff is 131,440 guilders higher in 2022 compared to the previous year.

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