THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers RMR has issued a stern warning to the government of St. Maarten, urging them to present a finalised 2025 national budget approved by Parliament by April 30. A formal letter of reprimand will be sent to Prime Minister Luc Mercelina.
The RMR’s decision follows a statement from the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT, highlighting that despite the timely submission of the draft 2025 budget, St. Maarten has once again failed to complete the budgetary process before the start of the year.
While the country projects budget surpluses for the period 2025–2028, these forecasts rely on the introduction of a tourist tax, a legislative process that remains unfinished. CFT has expressed concerns about the uncertainty of these anticipated surpluses, given unresolved deficits in healthcare funds, which pose a risk to the national budget.
The budget for 2025 should have been submitted to the CFT by December 15, 2024, but previous calls to expedite the process were ignored.
Efforts are currently underway to draft the 2026 budget. CFT has called on St. Maarten to prioritise finalising this budget before the beginning of the new year, marking a potential first since 2010.
