SXMElections.com

Chris: Taxing Pensions Of Seniors Is Borderline Criminal, Immoral

~ Questions existence of tax inspector quotas ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The taxing of senior citizens pensions and subsequent aggressive collection methods by tax authorities, “is downright criminal and immoral”, while large entities such as casinos are given much more leeway, says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel.

The MP was reacting to the announcement by Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion that casinos were sent a letter to pay their tax arrears, with no indication of deadlines and/or fines or liens as legal measures that would be applied.

“The government considers seniors, poor residents and small business owners as low lying fruit Read more

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Szv Receives Its First Clean Audit Report

~ SZV’s financial statements comply with GAAP guidelines.~

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten For the first time, Social & Health Insurances SZV received a clean audit report for its 2021 financial statements. The clean audit report was issued on September 27, 2022, by the government audit bureau, Stichting Overheids Accountants Bureau (SOAB). A clean audit report also termed an ‘Approved Control,’ means that the auditors found that the financial reporting by SZV was accurate and transparent Read more

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Witu Sends A Number Of Concerns To Pm And Minister Of Education

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — The President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Stuart Johnson sent an e-mail earlier today to both the Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister of Education Rudolph Samuel covering a number of concerns affecting the education sector in St Read more

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Witu Demands An Explanation From Doran

Philipsburg — President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Stuart Johnson met with mainly WITU members of Government subsidized school boards on Wednesday afternoon.

“The reality of their hardship caused by the non-payment of the vacation allowance was brought forward,” Johnson said.

Present in the meeting were union colleagues of the WISCU/PSU, NAPB, SMCU, ABVO and WIFOL in soalidarity.

Johnson before delving into the outcomes of the general membership meeting referenced his concerns about the remarks made by Deputy Prime Minister Egbert Doran.

“I believe the Honorable Minister Doran owes teaching, non-teaching staff and by extension the nation an explanation or an apology,” Johnson stated.

In the spirit of transparency, Minister Doran should explain the outcome of the meeting held with the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion regarding the solution of the vacation allowance payment which he alluded to during the Council of Ministers Press Briefing on August 10, 2022.

He added, “it seems to be obvious from listening to remarks made in the recent Council of Ministers Press Briefing that he not only misspoke but gave a false hope to educators.”

The WITU President expressed that, “in these challenging and financially difficult times you simply do not make such frivolous statements.”

However, if Minister Doran has a solution we are eager to hear such Read more

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Emmanuel: Trying To Come After Me Will Not Change Ombudsman Report

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday told Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to go ahead and join the charade being perpetrated on the public, and investigate what he (Irion) called possible bid rigging in the repairs of the Prins Bernard bridge in 2017 while he (Emmanuel) was the Minister of VROMI.

However, the MP at the same time urged Irion and the entire government to stop deflecting from the issue of the systemic investigation into the bidding process for the garbage contracts conducted by the Ombudsman and vindictively trying to dig up whatever they can to distract the people of St Read more

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Wilson Says Prime Minister Jacobs Must Be Held Accountable For Her Illegal Actions.

Urges Parliament & the Integrity Chamber to hold them accountable

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — On Sunday June 26, 2022, Gromyko Wilson made use of his Social Media platform to denounce the illegal and discriminatory actions taken by Prime Minister (PM) Silveria Jacobs on June 15, 2022, when the PM, Minister Ardwell Irion, Minister Anna Richardson and Minister Rudolph Samuel went against the ordinance passed in Parliament (and ratified by the Constitutional court) containing temporary covid-19 measures for civil servants and the likes (Tijdelijke Landsverordening Covid-19 bezuinigingen arbeidsvoorwaarden overheidsdienaren).

This ordinance specifically regulates the percentage of vacation allowance civil servants were entitled to receive between July 2019 and July 2021 Read more

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Immigration Border Protection Services Unveil New Look For Its Vehicles

Philipsburg In a bid to mark the one-year separation of the Immigration Border Protection Department (IBP) from the KPSM Police Force, the new look of the IBP vehicle was unveiled today, March 1, 2022.

The vehicle was unveiled in front of the Government Administration Building in the presence of Prime Minister Silveria E. Jacobs, Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson, Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran, Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, IBP Mobile Unit Head Officer Ryan Peterson, and the board of the Sint Maarten Police Force Pensioners and Retires Association.

Also in attendance were Prison Director Steven Carty, Quarter Master Jovanni Sprott and a representative of the Coast Guard along with other invited guests Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: Govt. Awarding Vacation Pay Illegally

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday disclosed to Parliament that he has been made aware that the government has paid out vacation pay to some civil servants, in direct contravention of the law (national ordinance) to cut the employment benefits and income of civil servants, (semi) public sector workers.

Calling it discriminatory, unfair and clearly illegal the MP explained that the vacation pay was paid out to persons who left government service, while those who are currently in government service are not receiving anything These abusive laws were passed and went into effect Read more

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Emmanuel: Coalition Seeking Greener Pastures On The Backs Of The People

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel is of the opinion that governments lack of empathy towards the people of St. Maarten and its disconnect from the common man has been re-enforced through its words and actions over the past few weeks. He said the insensitive words that the Council of Ministers continues to use towards people whose income they have cut is a sad indictment against themselves and the lack of care they have for people. People who have been made to suffer while coalition members show off in videos playing golf and eating lobster, the MP said.

The MP said Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion and Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs in particular, behaves as if they didnt grow up on St Read more

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