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PHILIPSBURG:---  The One St. Maarten People Party has taken note of the statements of the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Mr. Richard Gibson to impose a 6% tax on goods purchased on line and his concerns about a 30% reduction of business reported by the business community. As a political party we are also very concerned when we hear about such a reduction in business because most of the time this also results in the loss of jobs, a very scarce commodity now in St Read more

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Leonard Submits Questions To Gibson About Moody’S And Airport Meeting

PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament Tamara Leonard has submitted a series of questions to Finance Minister Richard Gibson about the downgr Read more

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Gibson Espera Conseguir En Dos Meses Fondos Adeudados A St. Maarten

Traducido por: Máximo Castro

PHILIPSBURG.- El ministro de Finanzas Richard Gibson tiene la esperanza de concluir la tramitación con el ministro de Finanzas de Curazao José Jardim sobre los fondos adeudados a San Martín de la división de los activos de las antiguas Antillas Neerlandesas en un plazo de dos meses.

Gibson se reunió con Jardim en Curazao la semana pasada sobre el tema. Se informó el miércoles que las conversaciones habían sido “agradables” y “productivas” Read more

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Gibson Reports Progress In Share Division From Dismantling Of Antilles

PHILIPSBURG – Plans are underway for St. Maarten to receive its share of the division of assets from the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles.

Minister of Finance Richard Gibson, as promised, met with his Curaçao counterpart recently and reported that the meeting went surprisingly well. “We will be meeting again somewhere around May 17.

That’s next month, to continue our discussions. In the meantime, support staff from the Minister in Curaçao as well as support staff from the Ministry of Finance of St Read more

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St. Maarten Civil Servants Move To New Building On July 1

St. Maarten News – The signing of the necessary documents to initiate the start of the completion of the new Government Building situated on Pond Island is certainly a step in the right direction and according to Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr, such a move will save the Government 300,000 guilders per month.

The signing of the agreement between the contractors, Windward Electric Company, Windward Roads, Lievense CSO and the SZV was a big moment in the history of St Maarten; it was the first time that all the ministers in the government converged in the still to be completed facility.

The Interim Director of SZV, Glen Carty was the first to address the gathering Read more

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Airport Intends To Implement Concession Fees For Inbound Cargo To St. Maarten --- Pjiae Official’S Remains Mum On Pending Issues.

Cargo tenants faces 10% increase in rent.

Airport:--- Tenants at the cargo building at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) are at their wits ends since they are unable to get answers from the operational and supervisory board of the government owned company. According to the tenants of the cargo building that is currently under construction the tenants said they were informed that their rent will increase by 10% while the increase is not a one-time increase instead the cargo tenants will face an increase in rent as per the cost per cost price index (CPI) Read more

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Financial Institution Started For Country

MAHO--Parliament Chairperson Sarah Wescot-Williams and Finance Minister Richard Gibson jointly witnessed the establishment of the foundation called “Financial Institute St. Maarten” at the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) Conference held in Sonesta Maho Beach Resort this week Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Information reaching SMN News states that the government of St. Maarten are being ripped off by an auto dealer on the island that have been leasing cars to government. According to the information provided to SMN News is that a number of vehicles were leased to the Ministry of Justice and the lease prices are very high even for old cars that are not in proper working condition.
The source said that at one point some of the vehicles were repossessed because government was not making its payment but the dealer quickly returned the vehicles to the Ministry but did not change the lease prices even though they know that their vehicles were old and not up to par.
SMN News further learnt that the financial controller for government even advised the head of facility management not to continue the agreement as it was because government were being robbed but the head of facility management did not heed the advice of the financial controller.
According to the information SMN News received is that government is paying NAF.2, 430.00 ($1,350.00) per month for one vehicle that is eight years old Read more

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CFT advices all political parties to follow the same framework when preparing budgets.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the CFT felt that St. Maarten has made the right turn around, by accepting the advices and recommendations when they prepared the draft 2016 budget that reflects the real income of the country. Chairman of the CFT Age Bakker said St. Maarten attained its country status the budgets were not balanced and instead St. Maarten incurred huge debts with APS, and USZV. Bakker said because of that they advised the Kingdom Council last September to give St Read more

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Prime Minister And Justice Minister Meets With Soab

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Honorable Prime Minister William Marlin and the Minister of Finance Richard Gibson met with SOAB Director Giomaly Martis of Curacao and Country manager Candia Joseph of Sint Maarten.

This meeting was a continuation of a follow up meeting that took place a couple weeks ago Read more

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We Aren’T Taking It Anymore, We Are Mad As Hell!

Lenny Priest Leader of One St. Maarten People Party

It is unacceptable that we just can’t get anything right since obtaining the status of country within the Dutch Kingdom on October 10, 2010. Over and over we have to repeat the shame that the established parties (UP, NA, DP, US) are putting this country through Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- It is unacceptable that we just can’t get anything right since obtaining the status of country within the Dutch Kingdom on October 10, 2010. Over and over we have to repeat the shame that the established parties (UP, NA, DP, US) are putting this country through Read more

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National Bank Next Step For Finance Ministry

Ministers Gibson, Marlin, Kirindongo and Lee at the beginning of the afternoon session in parliament. Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten News – After the approval of the 2016 budget, Finance Minister Richard Gibson will set the first steps towards the establishment of the National Bank of St. Maarten. The minister made the announcement at the end of his presentation about the draft 2016 budget to parliament yesterday morning.

“To have Gebe with 70 million guilders in the bank and do nothing with it is stupid,” the minister said Read more

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Mps Pepper Ministers With Questions In Budget Debate

Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo (standing) speaks in the budget debate on Monday.

 PHILIPSBURG--The 2016 draft budget was tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Richard Gibson on Monday morning in Parliament House. Members of Parliament (MPs), who had up to 90 minutes to speak, peppered the Council of Ministers with a barrage of questions spanning from the budget and Government policies to general topics of interest.

  The seven Ministers, who all made presentations about the working of their Ministries on Monday, will be back in Parliament today, Tuesday, starting at 2:00pm to deliver answers to the questions from MPs Read more

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Gibson: Naf. 38 Million For New Investments If Budget Adopted

PHILIPSBURG--Government will be able to make some NAf. 38 million in new investments should the draft 2016 budget be passed by Parliament and receive the stamp of approval from the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT, Finance Minister Richard Gibson told Parliament in the plenary session dealing with the draft budget Read more

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Cft Sends Govt. 'Recommendations' On Budget, Debate Now Set For Feb. 29

Finance Minister Richard Gibson

PHILIPSBURG--The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT has sent Finance Minister Richard Gibson five "suggestions" for the draft 2016 budget, which if taken up the Committee would be more inclined to give the budget its nod of approval.

  Gibson said in a press conference on Friday afternoon that the suggestions will be worked on by Government Read more

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CFT pleased with government approach on preparing 2016 budget.

PHILIPSBURG:-- Minister of Finance Richard Gibson informed members of the media Friday afternoon that on Thursday he got a reaction from the CFT regarding the 2016 budget. The Minister had indicated earlier that he had sent the draft budget he sent to parliament to the CFT before parliament passed the budget because he did not want the CFT to disapprove the budget after it is passed by the parliament of St Read more

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Dollarization Would Free Up 250 Million For Investments

St. Maarten News – Dutch preparedness to assist St. Maarten with the strengthening of the tax inspectorate went only that far and dollarization would free up 250 million guilders for capital investments, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday during the meeting of the central committee of parliament about the handling of the draft 2016 budget.

The minister reached an initial agreement about the support during his first visit to the Netherlands last year, but soon after it turned out that the Netherlands demanded €1.5 million in compensation for travel and housing expenses Read more

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Prime Minister Marlin Expects Opposition To Criticize Budget

PHILIPSBURG-Prime Minister William Marlin is unconcerned with opposition Members of Parliament’s (MP) criticism of the budget, which was debated in the Central Committee on Monday, February 8.

“When government presented a budget, in all my years in the political arena, only once or twice in the history that you have an opposition sort of agreeing with the government on parts of a budget,” Prime Minister Marlin said.

He noted that it’s election year and as such opposition members will try to give a negative impression of the budget Read more

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Tot Is ‘Disruptive’ To Growth, Says Gibson

PHILIPSBURG--The five-per-cent turnover tax (ToT) is “disruptive” and an “impediment to economic growth” due to its “multiplier effect” on the cost of goods and services, Finance Minister Richard Gibson told Parliament on Wednesday.

“We have to do away with it or move it down,” Gibson said of the ToT. He has the same belief about the country’s profit tax. It is tough to enforce the profit tax system, he said Read more

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‘Shotgun Budget’ Tabled In Parliament By Gibson

Finance Minister Richard Gibson (right) with MP Maurice Lake. 

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament is faced with a “shotgun budget” as the draft 2016 budget was described by Finance Minister Richard Gibson Read more

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‘Shotgun Budget’ Tabled In Parliament By Gibson

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament is faced with a “shotgun budget” as the draft 2016 budget was described by Finance Minister Richard Gibson. The Minister tabled the budget, totaling NAf 438,000 in the Central Committee meeting of Parliament on this morning.  

  There is “no time to do the budget as it should have been done” and to get all policies from the seven ministries covered, said the Minister Read more

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Mp Tamara Leonard Request Info About Government Consultants

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten  – United People (UP) party Member of Parliament Tamara Leonard has requested a list of all consultants working for Government and their associated consulting fees and benefits (housing, allowances and transportation etc.) per ministry.

MP Leonard urged Government in the letter to provide the information requested prior to the start of the Central Committee meeting on the draft 2016 budget Read more

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Mp Tamara Leonard Request Info About Government Consultants

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People (UP) party Member of Parliament Tamara Leonard has requested a list of all consultants working for Government and their associated consulting fees and benefits (housing, allowances and transportation etc.) per ministry.

MP Leonard urged Government in the letter to provide the information requested prior to the start of the Central Committee meeting on the draft 2016 budget Read more

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