SXMElections.com

“Tax Inspectorate Is Understaffed, Under Equipped And Under Trained”

St. Maarten News – Finance Minister Richard Gibson repeated in a meeting of parliament yesterday that the country needs to diversify and expand its economy to build resistance against inevitable external shocks. He mentioned the development of hydroponics, fishery, the medical industry and education as viable options.

Minister Gibson repeated his warnings about de-risking and the potential loss of correspondents banking and pointed again to local banks that want certain customers – especially casinos – to close their accounts, because they do not want to accept the risks associated with this type of customer anymore.

To improve the country’s financial position it will have to invest in its tax inspectorate, the minister said Read more

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Minister Gibson At Tax Summit: “Tax Reform Is Absolutely Necessary”

Prime Minister William Marlin (left) and Finance Minister Richard Gibson during the tax summit. To the right is Minister Emil Lee Read more

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St. Maarten Civil Servants Move To New Building On July 1

St. Maarten News – The signing of the necessary documents to initiate the start of the completion of the new Government Building situated on Pond Island is certainly a step in the right direction and according to Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr, such a move will save the Government 300,000 guilders per month.

The signing of the agreement between the contractors, Windward Electric Company, Windward Roads, Lievense CSO and the SZV was a big moment in the history of St Maarten; it was the first time that all the ministers in the government converged in the still to be completed facility.

The Interim Director of SZV, Glen Carty was the first to address the gathering Read more

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National Bank Next Step For Finance Ministry

Ministers Gibson, Marlin, Kirindongo and Lee at the beginning of the afternoon session in parliament. Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten News – After the approval of the 2016 budget, Finance Minister Richard Gibson will set the first steps towards the establishment of the National Bank of St. Maarten. The minister made the announcement at the end of his presentation about the draft 2016 budget to parliament yesterday morning.

“To have Gebe with 70 million guilders in the bank and do nothing with it is stupid,” the minister said Read more

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Dollarization Would Free Up 250 Million For Investments

St. Maarten News – Dutch preparedness to assist St. Maarten with the strengthening of the tax inspectorate went only that far and dollarization would free up 250 million guilders for capital investments, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday during the meeting of the central committee of parliament about the handling of the draft 2016 budget.

The minister reached an initial agreement about the support during his first visit to the Netherlands last year, but soon after it turned out that the Netherlands demanded €1.5 million in compensation for travel and housing expenses Read more

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Finance Minister Gibson: “Very Frugal Budget With Room For Expansion”

St. Maarten News:  The government intends to sell the new administration building on Pond Island for around 50 million guilders to social insurance agency SZV. With the building, SZV will also acquire the adjacent terrain of more than 15,000 square meters and the parking lot that borders on the TelEm property of 5,000 square meters. A parcel of land bordering on this parking lot of 1,800 square meters is also part of the deal. This appears from the explanatory notes with the draft 2016 budget that Governor Holiday submitted to the parliament on Monday.

In the preface, Finance Minister Richard Gibson Sr Read more

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Plasterk About Dispute Regulation “Kingdom Cannot Deviate From Decisions, Unless …”

St. Maarten News:  The Kingdom Council of Ministers cannot deviate from an advice issued by a dispute regulator, unless such a deviation is properly motivated,” Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk said at a press conference yesterday at the end of his visit to St. Maarten. With this statement, Plasterk seems to come back from his earlier stance that the Kingdom Council of Ministers should always have the last word in disputes between the countries in the kingdom.

The only issue that separates Plasterk and the Caribbean autonomous countries St Read more

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Prostitutes Become Entrepreneurs

St. Maarten News: – Today reported already on January 9, after a presentation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (Ipko) that the ministry of justice would not issue any more permits for prostitutes to local brothels. In that sense, reports about a ban on these permits are nothing new. Because there are two types of permits involved – residence and work permits – this newspaper asked a clarification in Wednesday from Minister Emil Lee (Public Health, Social Development and Labor).

Work permits for prostitutes are issued under the euphemistic moniker of animeermeisje (exotic dancer) Read more

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Vks Commander Presents Scott Memorial Lecture

St. Maarten News – VKS commander Antonio Rogers will present the fourteenth Lionel Bernard Scott Memorial Lecture on January 28 at the PMIA Hall on Back Street. Past, present and future development of crime as it relates to the self-esteem and reliance of the people of St. Maarten is the topic of this year’s lecture.

The annual lecture honours the memory of L.B Read more

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Heyliger Predicts Gloom And Doom

UP-leader hints at election delay and casino licenses

St. Maarten News – Governor Eugène Holiday may have said September 26 is the final date for elections in the December 14 national decree, but United People’s (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger says there is “a huge possibility” the Coalition of Eight, at least by mid-year, will request “yet another postponement” of the ballot.

The postponement of the elections, issuance of at least new two casino licenses, the formation of new marketing firms, rather than the implementation of the tourism authority, the non-institution of the Integrity Chamber and the resulting silence of the Dutch Government are among the top ten things that will happen in 2016, Heyliger said in a press release..

“The National Alliance leader said in a past Council of Ministers press conference he will seek the support of the kingdom government on electoral reform Read more

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Government About To Collect 13 Million From Casino Sector

Parliamentarians happy with withdrawal increased road tax

St. Maarten – By providing the receiver’s office with a mandate, the government is able to collect 13 million in tax arrears from the casino-sector, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday afternoon during a meeting of the Central Committee where he, as announced on Wednesday, withdrew the draft law to increase the road tax in 2016.

In a brief introduction, the minister told parliament that he would like to make some changes to the draft the previous government had submitted Read more

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St. Maarten Port Inaugurates Gottwald Crane

On the left is the boom of the Terex Gottwald Model 6 Crane and the CMA CGM Container Vessel, the largest to dock at Port St. Maarten, MV Marseille. Photo contributed

St. Maarten – During the inauguration on Saturday of the newly acquired Terex Gottwald Model 6 Crane, and the welcome ceremony for the CMA CGM Marseille Container Cargo Vessel – the largest vessel to operate at Port St. Maarten Cargo Facility – the buzz coming from various stakeholders was about the strategic investments that have been made by Port St Read more

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Position Airport Director Labega Under Pressure

Managing director Regina Labega at her desk at Princess Juliana International Airport. File photo SXM

Court rejects suspension of government-decision

St. Maarten – Starting tomorrow, Regina Labega is no longer authorized to function as the managing director of Princess Juliana International Airport, but it is at this moment uncertain whether she will be removed from her position, her attorney Cor Merx told this newspaper yesterday. “It is unclear what is going to happen on November 13.”

Labega’s position requires a certificate of no objection, but Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs refused to give this to her, based on the result of a screening by the national security service VDSM.

The airport risks a fine of 1,000 up to 500,000 guilders – per violation – if it allows Labega to stay on as managing director Read more

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The Case Against Dollarization

The fact that there is still a discussion on the dollarization issue is somewhat strange to me and not because I think it would the worst thing that can happen to us in St. Maarten but because of the total lack of actual benefits proposed by those supporting dollarization.

The symposium on dollarization organized by the Council on Advice at the University of St. Maarten only confirms what I have believed all along, that dollarization is not a valid option for St. Maarten. Although I am basing my article on what was published in the media since I was unable to attend the actual meeting.

In the media, supporter of dollarization, Mr Read more

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Court Puts Vorst-Ruling On Ice

Family has to wait for decision on appeal

St. Maarten – The government does not have to pay the Vorst-family immediately for the estate in Cay Hill for which Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake signed a purchase agreement for $5.5 million. On August 21, the Court in First Instance ruled in summary proceedings that the Vorst-family had a valid purchase agreement and that the country had to pay $3 million within four days and the remaining $2.5 million according to the contract Read more

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Up Party Inadmissible In Quest For Complete Voting Register

St. Maarten – The Court in First Instance declared the United People’s party and its president Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce inadmissible yesterday in a lawsuit that the party filed in an effort to obtain a full copy of the voters register.

The UP, represented by attorneys Peggy Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks, filed the lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs and the Government of St Read more

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