Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
~ Budget debate continues today ~
PHILIPSBURG--Government spent NAf. 1,131,844.78 last year in mobile telephone bills for civil servants. That amount covers 206 mobile phones from St. Maarten Telephone Group of Companies TelEm allotted to civil servants in "key positions," including emergency posts at the Fire and Ambulance Departments, police, health inspectors and policy advisors.
The Ministry of General Affairs has 50 government-allocated mobile phones; Ministry of Justice 25 mobile phones; Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports 17; Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication 35 mobile phones; Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure 42 mobile phones; Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour 26 mobile phones; and Ministry of Finance 9 mobile phones.
Prime Minister/General Affair Minister Marcel Gumbs told Parliament Wednesday that government intends to establish a new policy on the issuance and regulation of mobile phones for civil servants to curb the high bill.
Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo had called on government in the Plenary Session of Parliament on the draft 2015 budget on Tuesday to seek more ways to cut back on waste and bad spending in the administration. She specifically asked how much government could save on mobile phones for civil servants who are not department heads.
Looking at the total amount paid in phone bills, it can be said the government pays some NAf. 5,494 per mobile phone annually. This comes to some NAf. 457.86 per phone per month.
Aside from the mobile phone bill, government owes TelEm some NAf. 15 million for "services rendered" based on figures provided to Gumbs in a shareholder's meeting with the company.
Government has claimed some NAf. 950,000 from TelEm's profits of NAf. 1.9 million.
The plenary session on the draft 2015 budget was suspended until 12:00pm today, Thursday. MPs started their day on Wednesday at 2:00pm and continued until close to 1:30am Thursday. When the meeting resumes today MPs will continue to pose questions to ministers. Following their answers, the budget will be put to a vote.
Government needs to establish the budget by January 31 to meet the deadline set by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT or face an instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to get its financial house in order.
