SXMElections.com

Dp Puts Fatca Back On The Agenda

St. Maarten News – It is not the first time that the faction of the Democratic Party wants to discuss the Fatca – the American Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act – and its consequences for local businesses and banks (see related story on page 3). In February 2013, there was a similar request by then MPs Roy Marlin and Leroy de Weever Read more

Government About To Collect 13 Million From Casino Sector

Parliamentarians happy with withdrawal increased road tax

St. Maarten – By providing the receiver’s office with a mandate, the government is able to collect 13 million in tax arrears from the casino-sector, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday afternoon during a meeting of the Central Committee where he, as announced on Wednesday, withdrew the draft law to increase the road tax in 2016.

In a brief introduction, the minister told parliament that he would like to make some changes to the draft the previous government had submitted Read more

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs: “I Will Not Back Down”

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs (left) makes his position perfectly clear while Ministers Hassink, Sams and Connor look on. Photo Today / Andrew Dick

St. Maarten – “I will not back down,” Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told this newspaper yesterday afternoon while he was walking back to the government building, where earlier yesterday he shed his light once more on the constitutional crisis that holds the country in a deadly embrace.

Professor Arjen van Rijn repeated yesterday in the Antilliaans Dagblad his firm position on the constitutional crisis: when the parliament hits, the cabinet is allowed to hit back Read more

Na Mp Pantophlet Seeks Clarity On Internal Control Department

St. Maarten – Member of Parliament George Pantophlet disclosed yesterday that he will be submitting some questions to Minister of Finance Martin Hassink regarding the setting up of an internal control department. Pantophlet also plans to request a copy of an agreement signed between the SOAB and government. “This agreement apparently has in it that the SOAB would set up the internal control department within 2 years, write the internal control process and also train the employees Read more

Upgrade Dutch Quarter Delayed, Not Forgotten

European subsidy-millions remain available until December 5

St. Maarten – What happened to the European funds St. Maarten supposedly received for the upgrading of Dutch Quarter? Former Vromi-Minister William Marlin announced at a “simply yet significant signing ceremony” on the De Weever property on June 25, 2012 that the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) had committed €4.75 million ($6.1 million) to the project and the government put up an additional 1,73 million ($2.25 million) Read more

Opinion: Sensible Decision (Write-Off Tax Debts Pre 2006)

The Council of Ministers took a sensible decision by leaving a policy that takes all tax debts from 2006 and earlier years off the books in place.

Former Finance Minister Roland Tuitt published the policy in May 2013. It triggered a remarkable advice from the Social Economic Council (SER) that claimed that the policy left more than 4.5 billion guilders in taxes uncollected Read more

Ser-Member Reed Strikes Back At Tuitt

St. Maarten – William Reed, a senior member of the Social Economic Council (SER) has reacted angrily to statements made by former finance Minister Roland Tuitt about a SER-advice that criticizes Tuitt’s decision to take tax debts from 2006 and before off the books. The SER called the policy rules Tuitt published in the National Gazette on May 24, 2013, “unlawful.”

Yesterday, Tuitt stated in this newspaper that the SET had been used as “a political football” in writing its advice.

“As a senior member of the SER, I take exception to your article,” Reed stated in a brief email to this newspaper Read more

Former Minister Roland Tuitt: “Ser Used As Political Football”

St. Maarten – Former Finance Minister Roland Tuitt has lashed out at the Social Economic Council (SER) for its advice that calculates the total write-off of uncollected taxes between 1976 and 2006 at more than 4.4 billion guilders ($2.5 billion). In a statement that sums up ten reasons why there is nothing wrong with his decision to write off the old tax debts, the former minister, a certified public accountant, notes that the receiver ought to be investigated  for breaking the law by instructing employees to collect tax debts older than 2006. Read more

Ser-Advice Meets With Severe Criticism

St. Maarten – The advice from the Social Economic Council about former Finance Minister Roland Tuitt’s decision in 2013 to take all tax debts from 2006 and before off the books, has met with some serious criticism. The SER-advice labels the decision as unlawful and states that Tuitt wiped out 4.47 billion guilders (around $2.5 billion) in tax arrears.

“The suggestion that the country is missing out on 4.4 billion guilders in tax revenue is unfounded,” a source told this newspaper under guarantee of anonymity Read more

Editorial: Follow The Money

The enormity of former Finance Minister Roland Tuitt’s move to take all tax debts from 1976-2006 off the books is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. According to the Social Economic Council Tuitt let go of 4.47 billion guilders in arrears – approximately ten times the country’s current national budget.

If the policy document Tuitt signed in 2013 – ten days after the fall of the second Wescot-Williams cabinet – is indeed unlawful as the SER claims, one may well wonder whether this measure fits within the framework of departure policy.

If that is so, it begs the question who would stand to benefit the most from this unexpected Christmas gift Read more

Opinion: Up Party Causes Real Estate Bubble

Dear Editor,

The UP led government has created a real estate bubble that will burst and hurt many real estate investors. Let us take a look at the real estate transaction by Minister Lake of the UP party from an auditor’s view:

Before a minister can sign a document or contract that binds government financially he has to obtain at least 3 approvals from different control units:

He has to obtain the approval from the minister of finance, because the minister of finance has higher supervision on all the ministries in government. He has to obtain the approval from the Council of Ministers. He has to obtain the approval from the Governor of St Read more

Lively Political Debate On Laser 101: Connor (Up) Estimates Gray Economy To Be 50 Percent

St. Maarten – “The government has a debt of 500 million guilders to the Netherlands, and 200 million to creditors. The 2015 budget is expected to be around 465 million. Unemployment is 11.5 percent. It is your first day in office. What will you do?”

This is how moderator Glen Carty started the political debate on radio station Laser 101 on Saturday evening with participants Emil Lee (number 4-candidate Democratic Party), George Pantophlet (number 2-candidate National Alliance), Claret Connor (number 10-candidate United People’s Party) and Harlec Doran (number 6-candidate United Sint Maarten Party).

The lively debate outshone earlier debates on AVS and the political mixer at the St Read more

Former Ministers Fail To Submit Financial Declarations

PM unaware of blank filing by former Justice Minister Duncan St. Maarten – Not all ministers that left office after the fall of the second Wescot-Williams cabinet have filed a declaration of their assets and financial affairs, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing. The General Audit Chamber stated in a report about institutional integrity in May that ministers who leave office have to submit a declaration “truthfully affirming which business interests and assets he, his spouse or partner and his children possess.” This rule is based on the National Ordinance Promotion Integrity of Ministers. The declaration has to include secondary functions and ancillary activities plus the compensation they receive for these activities Read more