Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
THE HAGUE--Plans to construct a casino at the airport and the harbour in St. Maarten have Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party very worried.
Bosman submitted written questions to Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk on Thursday in response to media reports stating that St. Maarten had expanded its casino policy in order to grant four additional casino licences. The Harbour Group of Companies and Princess Juliana International Airport SXM already have submitted applications for casino licences.
Bosman asked Plasterk how in "God's name it was possible" that permits were being granted while there is a moratorium on the issuing of casino and lottery permits. He was especially critical of the harbour. "Does the minister share our impression that this might concern a possible attempt of the Harbour Group of Companies to launder money via the casino?"
The Member of Parliament (MP) referred to the Integrity Inquiry Report of PricewaterhouseCoopers that was ordered by the Kingdom Council of Ministers. He asked Minister Plasterk whether he agreed with the report's conclusions that government-owned companies including the Harbour Group of Companies didn't worry with integrity and transparency regulations. He asked how the permit for a casino related to the report.
Bosman asked the minister why the finances of the Harbour Group of Companies were being kept secret, and what was being done to tackle corruption and crime at government-owned companies. "Do you share the view that the situation on the island is very serious and that there is no sense of integrity?"
The MP suggested that it was time to give St. Maarten an instruction based on article 43 sub 2 of the Kingdom Charter, the so-called guarantee function, since "apparently" no measures were being taken by the St. Maarten Government to address the issue.
He asked the minister whether he agreed with the VVD that as long as there was no transparency at the government-owned companies, especially the harbour and airport, these companies should never be able to obtain a loan.
Bosman said in an additional remark, also referring to the press statement of the United People's (UP) party about the meddling by members of the Second Chamber, that he had every right to get involved in St. Maarten matters since good governance ultimately was a responsibility of the Kingdom.
The MP told The Daily Herald that he was worried that if Theo Heyliger would actually become Prime Minister that he would be representing the Dutch Kingdom in the exterior like the United Nations. This was not a good thing for someone who has been associated with vote-buying.
