Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
CBCS building in Philipsburg
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten received approximately NAf. 18.5 million from the foreign exchange licence fee in 2020, Finance Minister Ardwell Irion told Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday.
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – El diputado independiente Christophe Emmanuel dijo el mircoles que el ministro de Finanzas, Ardwell Irion, abofete a los funcionarios pblicos en la otra mejilla cuando intent incluir un puesto presupuestario en el presupuesto del 2021 para contratar a unos 155 nuevos trabajadores gubernamentales a tiempo completo, dos semanas despus de encabezar la campaa para recortar el prestaciones e ingresos de los actuales servidores pblicos.
No entiendo qu est haciendo este gobierno y este ministro de Hacienda Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday said Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion slapped civil servants across the other cheek when he attempted to include a budget post in the 2021 budget to hire some 155 new full-time government workers, two weeks after spearheading the drive to cut the benefits and income of current civil servants.
I do not understand what this government and this finance Minister are doing Read more
~ A sacrifice was made, but salaries ensured ~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs together with Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion presented the three publicly debated legislative amendments to the Parliament of Sint Maarten on the cost-cutting measures. The first being the Temporary National Ordinance to standardize the top incomes and reduce the employment benefits by 12.5% per July 1, 2020, within the (semi) public sector entities in order to meet the conditions set by the Government of the Netherlands for receiving the second tranche of liquidity support Read more
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs together with Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion presented the three publicly debated legislative amendments to the Parliament of Sint Maarten on the cost cutting measures Read more
Philipsburg Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs together with Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion presented the three publicly debated legislative amendments to the Parliament of Sint Maarten on the cost cutting measures. The first being the Temporary National Ordinance to standardize the top incomes and reduce the employment benefits by 12.5% per July 1, 2020, within the (semi) public sector entities in order to meet the conditions set by the Government of the Netherlands for receiving the second tranche of liquidity support Read more
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs (at podium) addressing MPs as Finance Minister Ardwell Irion (sitting, back left) listens during Wednesdays meeting.
~ 1.3 million in annual savi Read more
MPs during the meeting.
PHILIPSBURG--On Tuesday evening, Members of Parliament (MPs) passed a motion urging Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Finance Minister Ardwell Irion to Read more
PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) discussed the draft Temporary National Ordinance on the amendment of the employment conditions of political authorities, which will reduce MPs and Ministers total employment packages by 25 per cent until further notice.
A 25 per cent reduction in politicians employment packages was one of the conditions stipulated by the Dutch government for St. Maarten to receive the second tranche of liquidity support.
The cut will be in two parts Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, January 25, 2021, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion attended a Central Committee meeting of Parliament where they were able to present the legislative changes to one of the three amending national ordinances for the agreed-upon cost-cutting measures to be enforceable Read more
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – On Monday, January 25, 2021,Prime MinisterSilveriaJacobsand Minister of FinanceArdwellIrionattended aCentralCommittee meeting of Parliament where theywere able topresent the legislative changes to one of the three amending national ordinancesfortheagreed uponcost cutting measures to be enforceable.The Temporary National Ordinance on the standardization of top incomes and adjustment of employment conditions at (semi) publicsector entitieswasdiscussed for implementation per the conditions for receiving the second tranche of liquidity support from the government of the Netherlands Read more
House of Parliament
PHILIPSBURG--The total employment package of top-earners in government-owned companies and (semi-) public institutions will be capped at NAf. 39,519.73 per month under the Temporary National Ordinance on the standardisation of top incomes and adjustment of employment conditions at (semi-) public sector entities, Finance Minister Ar Read more
Philipsburg On Thursday, January 7th, Prime Minister & Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs, Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran, and their support staff met with State Secretary of Interior & Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops and his delegation in a series of meetings at the Government Administration Building to update and follow-up on agreements made prior to the end of 2020 Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, January 7th, Prime Minister & Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs, Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran, and their support staff met with State Secretary of Interior & Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops and his delegation in a series of meetings at the Government Administration Building to update and follow-up on agreements made prior to the end of 2020 Read more
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Members of Parliament are playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the lives of the people of St. Maarten by hinting that they intend to accept funds from the Dutch, but not support the law that supports the COHO and the country packages with reforms. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel who added that MP’s are now stating that they have little to no information and are confused about what the Prime Minister signed with State Secretary Knops.
“When you listen to MP’s supporting this government who have been in the media making comments and on the floor of Parliament, you can deduct in what direction they are heading Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament are playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the lives of the people of St. Maarten by hinting that they intend to accept funds from the Dutch, but not support the law that supports the COHO and the country packages with reforms. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel who added that MP's are now stating that they have little to no information and are confused about what the Prime Minister signed with State Secretary Knops.
"When you listen to MP's supporting this government who have been in the media making comments and on the floor of Parliament, you can deduct in what direction they are heading Read more
PHILIPSBURG--Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said on Wednesday that St. Maarten had received a 61.2-million-guilder loan from the Netherlands on December 28.
~UPP, PFP, and NA supports the signing of agreement and COHO
PHILIPSBURG: --- The coalition partners that are supporting the government of St. Maarten give the Prime Minister of St. Maarten its blessings in the form of a verbal declaration to go ahead and sign the COHO law. The leader of the UPP faction was the first to give the Prime Minister the declaration State Secretary Raymond Knops wants when he demanded that she gets such prior to the December 18th meeting.
UPP supports the signing of COHO Law.
After making her position known, the UPP MP and Faction Leader Grisha Heyliger Marten gave the declaration that the State Secretary Raymond Knops is looking for, thereby Heyliger Martin then said I am sure of our Prime Minister of St Read more
PHILIPSBURG--Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said on Wednesday that his ministry has made several improvements in a relatively short period of time, countering statements by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT that governments financial management is severely inadequate.
Silveria Jacobs
PHILIPSBURG--Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs on November 6, held a virtual information session for civil servants to provide an update concerning governments cost-cutting measures as per the conditions for further liquidity support from the Netherlands.
The conditions, among other things, are a 12.5 per cent per cent reduction on the total salary package and employment benefits of civil servants, as well as a 25 per cent reduction on the total salary package and employment benefits of Members of Parliament and Ministers.
In its efforts to meet the second tranche conditions set by the Dutch government, St Read more
File photo of the 2019 number plates, which were still used in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis (file photo).
PHILIPSBURG--Motorists in the country will get new number plates for their vehicles in 2021. Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said government is still looking into the possible solutions that can be used in the place of n Read more
~ State Secretary did not respond to St. Maarten~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday that there is still no agreement with the Dutch Government with regards the continued financial support. Jacobs said discussions are ongoing with the CFT and that St. Maartens Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion just last week sent another proposal to the CFT which would avoid the government from cutting the salaries of civil servants.Jacobs explained that St Read more
The conclusion I have come to after reading a letter dated October 19, 2020 sent by the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to State Raymond Knops is that article 25 of the Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision trumps articles 16 of the same Law. A text from the advices of the Department of Judicial Affairs and Legislation from the Ministry of General Affairs both from St Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- The plan presented by the Minister of TEATT Ludmilla de Weever to the parliament of St. Maarten last week is just the Ministers big idea says Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion. Irion made the statement at the Council of Minister's press conference on Wednesday when he was asked by SMN News if he could provide further details on the tax abolishment that was part of the plan Read more