Draft 2024 budget shows modest surplus
PHILIPSBURG — The draft 2024 budget mentions 572.2 million guilders ($319.7 million) in expenditures and 574.8 million ($321.1 million) in revenue – a modest surplus of around 2 million ($1.1 million). The More...
Pay to enter: St. Maarten will soon charge Tourist Tax
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (VSA) Omar Ottley aims to introduce a 25-dollar fee for each person arriving in St. Maarten. On the 2023 Government budget the “arrival More...
Government to collect tax from guests booking via AirBnB
“No additional laws are required to collect taxes related to Airbnb, those taxes can be collected under the current tax system,” said Finance Minister Ardwell Irion during the 2023 budget debate in Parliament, More...
Subsidies take up one third of 2021 budget
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 More...
Finance ministry focuses on cost-cutting measures
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 More...
MP Buncamper questions landfill maintenance
PHILIPSBURG — The budget to maintain the landfill is lowered by 610,000 guilders in the draft 2021 budget. Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper (United St. Maarten party) wants to know from Minister Egbert More...
Is the economic growth projection too pessimistic?
PHILIPSBURG — Is the projection of 3 percent economic growth this year on the low end and therefore too pessimistic? That’s what MP Claudius Buncamper wants to know from Minister Ludmilla de Weever (Tourism More...
MP Buncamper: “Tax collection goes from one extreme to the other”
PHILIPSBURG — “Does the government presently have a policy to handle the outstanding tax collection seeing the pandemic we are in, or are we bullying taxpayers into paying or losing their property?” This More...
Politicians and civil servant must contribute to pension system and SZV-funds, Cft advises
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten ought to amend legislation as soon as possible so that civil servants and politicians start paying a 10 percent contribution towards healthcare costs, financial supervisor Cft writes More...
Cft urges St. Maarten to implement revenue-increasing and cost-cutting measures
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten has to speed up the implementation of revenue-increasing and cost-cutting measures if it wants to return to structural budget-surpluses in the near future. “Without additional More...