Finance Minister Ardwell Irion measuring one of the new government plates while responding to a question during the budget debate.
PHILIPSBURG--Holding up one of the new 2023 government license plates, and briefly measuring it with a ruler during the 2023 draft budget debate, Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said the new plates are in line with existing regulations.
He was at the time responding to questions from independent Member of Parliament (MP) Christophe Emmanuel, who, during the debate, said he has never seen plates in St. Maarten with the numbers so small. Emmanuel had questioned whether the plates had been in conformity with the law and asked whether they would be recalled. Emmanuel also asked whether Irion stood by the image of the plates.
“Yes, MP, I do stand by the design of the plates,” Irion responded. “I believe the young lady [Shadani Fleming – Ed.] did a great job by designing the plate, but in addition to that, I do understand why you may have been a little confused regarding the number plate size because, from what I have observed, you don’t have the number plate from the Dutch side, but what I have here is one of our government plates and it is according to what you mentioned 6[cm]. So, MP you have a printed copy [of a plate – Ed.], but today we have the plate and I would also like to ask any member, any person in the public to measure their own plate to see.”
Irion explained that annually, a regulation establishing the valid number plates for the following tax year is published. The regulation establishing the number plates for 2023 was also published in AB 2023 08. “In article 2 paragraph 2 of the regeling nummerplaten 2023– the dimensions of the number plates and letters… must be between 5cm and 7.5cm. This was stated in the regulation of 2023 as well as in 2012 and even in 2011 as the new plate number is 6cm, it is in line with the regulations,” Irion explained.
