SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--Social and Health Insurance SZV and Government are making progress on their talks to hammer out an agreement on the outstanding arrears owed to the insurance service provider by the deadline set by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT.

The deadline is this month, which ends next Friday. The progress of talks with APS could not be ascertained. Government and SZV have been engaged in talks and have had several meetings to reach an agreement.

In an invited comment on Thursday on the progress of the talks, SZV official Reginald Willemsberg told The Daily Herald that parties had come to "some concrete proposals" during meetings held so far. "SZV has sent a proposal and we are now waiting on government to confirm or agree, but I think we are almost there," he said. "We will reach the deadline. We will reach an agreement before the deadline."

One of the issues of contention between parties is the exact amount government owes SZV in arrears. Government has one figure and SZV has another. CFT has given government until this month to substantiate that it can bring in the necessary income to cover the NAf. 445 million income set for the 2015 budget and settle the long-standing payment arrears of NAf. 200 million owed to SZV and General Pension Fund APS.

CFT had earlier described the situation with government's arrears to SZV and APS as "disconcerting." The arrears have been long pending and are causing persons to get "scared." It will "undermine confidence" in authorities and will cause people to question what will become of their pensions. CFT hopes that a lid can be placed on these issues when it returns to St. Maarten in June.