Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The 2011 annual account covering the first year of country status was dealt with in a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Monday.
Finance Minister Martin Hassink told Members of Parliament (MPs) the handling of the account was "far overdue," but a lot of hurdles and bottlenecks had to be overcome to get the report completed.
The report was compiled with "outside help" while those for the two subsequent years were put together internally.
The third quarter financial report for this year is completed and will be forwarded to parliament soon. This report was completed within the required timeline of six weeks following the close of the quarter.
Democratic Party ((DP)) MP Sarah Wescot-Williams said anyone who wanted "to nitpick" could find ample opportunity to do so in the annual accounts, but she preferred to look ahead to the more recent report.
It was a unique situation in Parliament as Wescot-Williams, who is the country's caretaker prime minister, posed questions to Hassink who is a member of the cabinet as well.
She also wanted to know, among other things, if the committee dealing with the division of assets and liabilities of the Netherlands Antilles had completed its work.
A final report was being fine-tuned and the committee is expected to meet on Friday, said Hassink. The findings need to be audited, but at present the report shows a "surplus" for St. Maarten to collect from the estate of the Netherlands Antilles.
United People's (UP) party MP Tamara Leonard was interested to know when the annual accounts for the other years would be presented to Parliament.
Hassink said the 2012 annual accounts are ready and will be sent to relevant high councils of state and then to Parliament.
The 2013 annual account was prepared and submitted by the deadline of September 1 to the General Audit Chamber. That report too will soon be sent to Parliament.
