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PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) leader Member of Parliament (MP) William Marlin says his party agrees with the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT estimate of the draft budget. CFT has tagged the budget at NAf. 426 million based on government's expected income and committed expenses.
However, Finance Minister Martin Hassink presented a budget totalling NAf. 445 million to Parliament in a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Thursday. The meeting held in Parliament House was suspended late last night and is set to continue today, Friday.
Marlin said government had been "summoned" by CFT "to bring the budget in line." As this summons from CFT has been ignored, he said it appeared that government now was buying time until it could make amendments later or have an excuse for the people as to why certain projects and services could not be carried out.
United People's (UP) party MP Franklin Meyers made it clear that indeed the draft budget "does not reflect the vision" of the current UP-led coalition. The reason for this is that the Gumbs Cabinet has been in office for only just over month. Handling this budget is "a compliance issue," he said pointing to CFT's January 31 deadline for the budget to be established. If the deadline is not met the country could face an instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to get its financial house in order.
Meyers cautioned his colleagues not to fall into the trap of thinking it was fine to sit back and "hope the Dutch come in." That only would be to the detriment of the country.
UP leader MP Theo Heyliger also agreed this budget was about compliance. "Several changes" will be made to the budget in the near future to reflect the coalition's governing programme. This year will be "a trying one for the people and government" as agreements made to foster the attainment of country within the kingdom status are reviewed, he added.
Not my budget
Democratic Party ((DP)) MP Sarah Wescot-Williams made it clear that the draft budget was not hers, although many are referring to it as "the Wescot-Williams III Cabinet's budget." She demitted the prime minister's office on December 19, 2014, and ceased dealing with the budget as of that date, she noted.
Wescot-Williams called on fellow MPs to live up to Parliament's "oversight" function, a role that has been tagged as lacking in several integrity reports as well as within the community. On the budget contents, she wants it pointed out by the ministers where the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are reflected. She also requested a list of the investment needed to complete the government building on Pond Island and a breakdown of the cost for the front door.
Dealing with the content of the budget, Marlin questioned when government would present the often-spoken-about dividend policy. He also wants to know whether utilities company GEBE will develop the planned waste-to-energy plant or whether the project on the books, for which several companies have already submitted bids, will go ahead; the accumulated debt of St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies; the remuneration for GEBE board members; and whether consultants have been hired to assist the board.
Getting and saving money
MP George Pantophlet (NA), as he has done in several budget debates, called on government to present its dividend policy and to increase casino and gaming fees to aid the budget. He also wants to know when government will receive its shares of the division of assets and liabilities of the former Netherlands Antilles.
Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo asked how Finance Minister Martin Hassink intends to keep ministers in line with the budget amounts and what measures are in place or will be taken to ensure government meets the basic needs of the country.
United St. Maarten Party leader Frans Richardson called SXM Princess Juliana International Airport "a luxury company" and one that "gets away scot-free" from paying any concession fee or dividends to government. The airport has received "a nice love letter" exempting it for almost two decades from paying any monies into government coffers, while St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies has been "bashed" repeatedly although it pays a concession fee.
He too called for government to finally implement a dividend policy. If it is not done soon he will bring a policy for Parliament to enact for government to follow, Richardson said. The policy will ensure an "across-the-board payment" by all government-owned companies.
MP Silveria Jacobs (NA) had a lengthy list of questions covering a number of budget posts and issues related to government and its functioning. The proper regulation of the General Pension Fund APS database is of concern to her, as is the merging of the Receiver's Office and Tax Inspectorate to promote better compliance. She queried where in the budget was the much talked about Counterpart Policy reflected and how government envisioned this would be carried out.
Jacobs asked about the cost of dealing with the two bomb-threat hoaxes at the airport and harbour. She was not amused that the culprit of the hoax at the harbour had been allowed to leave the country without any charges levied against her for the disruption caused to the country and the cost for emergency service response to the harbour. She wants government to explain how it will deal with the recommendations in the "State of Education Report."
MP Silvio Matser (UP), like other MPs, called on government to seek ways to clean up the country's immigration loopholes, create more jobs and make the granting of study financing with needed careers to build the country.
Independent MP Cornelius de Weever wants Minister Hassink to explain the mechanisms in place to ensure the ministries generate their potential income and to outline sanctions for ministries that overspend at a time when government needs to keep its expenditures in check. He also wants an explanation for the NAf. 1 million for collection for the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten and the increase of government property rental cost by some NAf. 1.2 million over last year.
The first round of the budget debate will continue today, Friday, from 10:00am with the Council of Ministers answering questions posed by MPs. This will be followed by clarifications and then the second round of questions and answers.
Parliament Chairman Dr. Lloyd Richardson hopes the plenary session of Parliament to establish the budget as a law will take place next week.
