PHILIPSBURG--Reflecting the urgency in passing the 2020 budget, Members of Parliament (MPs) sought clarity on several government plans and ministerial budget lines in a marathon public meeting of Parliament on Monday.
At the beginning of the more-than-twelve-hour-long meeting, MPs Claudius “Toontje” Buncamper of United St. Maarten Party (US Party), Melissa Gumbs of Party for Progress (PFP), Sarah Wescot-Williams of United Democrats (UD), Grisha Heyliger-Marten of United People’s (UP) party and William Marlin of National Alliance (NA) – the leaders of the Parliamentary factions – submitted a joint amendment to the draft National Ordinance establishing St. Maarten’s budget for 2020.
The amendment indicates the importance MPs attach to having the 2020 budget implemented as soon as possible.
“In view of the urgent importance of this National Ordinance, as referred to in Article 127, third paragraph, of the Constitution, this National Ordinance shall enter into force on the first day after the date of issue of the Announcement Sheet in the National Gazette in which it is placed and will date back to and including January 1, 2020.
“This amendment … aims to bring the National Ordinance into force as a matter of urgency so that the implementation of the measures from the St. Maarten Stimulus and Relief Plan can be implemented as soon as possible in order to deal with the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the amendment.
MP Sidharth “Cookie” Bijlani of UP party asked Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever about her Ministry’s specific plans and associated budget lines to bring back tourists once global travel restrictions have been lifted.
Wescot-Williams asked Finance Minister Ardwell Irion about his tax reform plans, for which NAf. 18 million has been allocated in the 2020 budget. She also asked Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Egbert Doran about his pilot project to improve the living conditions in various informal housing settlements, referred to as “shanty towns.”
“For the General Audit Chamber, I noticed an increase of 25 per cent in the budget post of legal and expert advice, bringing it to a total of 325,000 guilders. The General Audit Chamber reports to Parliament. So, my question is, why so high?” asked MP Raeyhon Peterson of PFP.
Buncamper asked about cost-cutting measures the government is considering and how these will impact civil servants. He also advocated for community cleaning programmes, like what is seen on the French side.
MP Christophe Emmanuel of NA said he was ready to pass the draft 2020 budget immediately. However, he used his speaking time to advocate for government seeking to return Venezuelan immigrants in St. Maarten and for the legalisation of marijuana.
Several other MPs posed questions to the Council of Ministers. These questions were answered by the Ministers during the meeting, which ended early Tuesday morning.
