SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--The Marcel Gumbs Cabinet has formulated a “Strategy for Growth” with the aim to “generate additional revenues” for Government’s coffers to fund its policy agenda, Governor Eugene Holiday announced at the opening of the 2015-2016 Parliamentary Year on Tuesday.

The “strategy,” which appears to be rooted in increased tax compliance, not more taxes, was described by the Governor as a way to ensure compliance with the national ordinance on Government accounts and the Kingdom Law on financial supervision for Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Members of Parliament (MPs) and dignitaries gathered in Parliament House were told the strategy’s objectives sought to provide “a stable long-term financial basis” for increased government revenues and “to organise” the tax system to improve the levying and collection of taxes, with a focus on tax arrears in the short term.

To support the objectives and generate “needed additional” funds, Government intends to control and clean up the tax registry; accelerate the collection of tax arrears and complaint handling; work on improving tax compliance by taxpayers; and reform the tax system, starting with the wage, income and profit taxes.

Government also will seek external funding from the European Union, the International Labour Organisation, World Health Organisation and the Pan-American Health Organisation to achieve its national development goals. The Cabinet will seek collaboration with French and British territories, where possible.

The realisation of Government’s policies depends on favourable economic developments, said the Governor. To support that, central aspects of Government’s economic agenda are the enhancement of service, job creation and economic diversification.

To pursue its economic agenda, Government will seek to maintain reporting on key economic and social indicators; establish a tourism authority; strengthen its marketing efforts; reinforce product development through tourism awareness programmes, service level training and a cruise conversion programme; and the promotion of private investments to complement public sector investments.

Also, Government intends to introduce legislative and policy reforms supportive of services to foster small and medium enterprises, and to establish a civil aviation and shipping registry.

Strengthening of the civil service “to provide effective and efficient services” is a focal point of government’s development plans. Government will pursue establishing standards and increased use of technology and data synchronisation aimed at reducing redundancy and bureaucracy.

Strengthening of Government’s legal capacity through recruitment and a partnership with the Legislative Academy in the Netherlands to improve the legislative process is another objective for the coming year, as is the creation of incentives in support of the “Brain Gain” project.