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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

Council Of Ministers Meet With Ccsu Members On The Way Forward

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — On Thursday, November 18, the Council of Ministers held a fruitful consultation meeting with the Committee for Civil Servants Unions (CCSU) and its members of the Windward Island Civil Servants Union (WICSU/PSU), Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU), and Algemene Bond van Overheid en Overige Personeel (ABVO) union as well as a representative of NAPB.

The meeting, which was chaired by CCSU Chair Mr. Rafael Boasman, served as an opportunity for the membership to be updated on the Constitutional Courts verdict which confirmed governments position surrounding the three temporary national ordinances and pose their questions concerning this.

The three temporary national ordinances were issued by the government on July 1, 2020, to cut the employment benefits of civil servants, (semi) public sector workers and political authorities Read more

Mp Buncamper Proposed Increase Tot, Decrease Profit Tax And Scrap Income Tax For Seniors

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — During Thursdays central committee independent member of parliament, Claudius Buncamper addressed the minister of finance, Ardwell Irion regarding the country packages related to the ministry of finance.

MP Buncamper noted that the tax reform has been on hold for quite some time and is still not ready and may take years before it is ready for implementation Read more

Emmanuel To Irion: Will Doran Be Accountable For Alegria Penalties?

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel on Monday asked Finance Minister Ardwell Irion if he will make an example of Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran and hold him accountable over his mishandling of the Alegria affair that will now cost the tax-payer approximately Naf 500,000.

Emmanuel used Irions own words to remind him of his statement earlier this year that Ministers should be made examples of and be held accountable for their actions Read more

Smmc Upgrades John Cooper Jose Lake Sr. Multipurpose Sports Court

L-R: Department Head of the Department of Sports, Jonelle Richardson, SMMCs Medical Director, Dr. Felix Holiday, Hon. Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, drs. Rodolphe Samuel, Hon. Minister of Finance, Ardwell Irion, Director of the National Sports Institute, Maikel Cornet and Sports Facility Manager Sigfried Hodge.

CAY HILL, Sint Maarten — St Read more

Richardson Heirs Claim Vineyard: It Is Time For Redemption Now

By Jacqueline Hooftman
Source: The Daily Herald

Alfred Richardson Hassell, born in St. Maarten on November 15, 1887

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — 45 heirs of the late Alfred Richardson are the owners of the Over the Bank and Vineyard Heights area, liquidator Mylene Imelda Richardson revealed to The Daily Herald. Forty heirs have come forward to claim what is rightfully theirs, and to stop the unlawful actions of the Government of St. Maarten.

In addition to in St. Maarten, Richardson heirs reside in Curaao, Aruba, Bonaire, the Netherlands, Italy and the United States Read more

Minister Irion Approves Aps Budget 2022

Cayhill, Sint Maarten, — On October 29, 2021, Algemeen Pensioenfonds Sint Maarten received a letter from Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion informing the pension fund that its 2022 budget has been approved. The deadline for approval was November 1.

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, APS net operational result in 2022 is expected to be positive at ANG 13.6 million, driven by strong positive results on investments Read more

The Minister Of Vromi Lied To Parliament

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Documents from the Ministry of VROMI in the ongoing saga about government long lease land situated at Over The Bank, paints a contradictory picture than what was relayed to Parliament by Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran. In fact, the documents paints Doran as a liar.

Doran, on multiple occasions, told Parliament that information could not be found on the 50 plus persons who were granted land in long lease by former VROMI Minister Angel Myers. Doran stressed that nothing at all could be found anywhere in the government’s administration or from civil servants Read more

Emmanuel: Finance Minister Proves Again He Cannot Be Trusted With Financial Information

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion proved once again that the financial information he shares with the Parliament and the people of St. Maarten cannot be trusted. The mis-information and hiding of the truth continues, MP Emmanuel said.
The MP was referring to the disclosure by Minister Irion that a 7.5% sales tax for online purchases is on the table as part of the governments tax reform plans Read more

A Message To Minister Of Finance Mr. Ardwell Irion

The tax witch hunt should first and foremost start with the large foreign business investors prior to going after our struggling local businesses. In fact government should give incentives, tax break/relief and even exemption to local businesses for a period of time. It is Minister of Finance Mr. Ardwell Irion’s turn to show case his ambitious plan in turning around our bleak financial situation into a balanced then onto a bright one.

Armed with a law book presented by tax advisors Tax Inspector Mr Read more

Aalbers And Lont Present Capita Selecta; Caribisch Fiscaal Recht To Minister Irion

~Tax advisors present Finance Minister with Caribbean tax law book~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten On Friday afternoon Minister of Finance Hon.
Ardwell Irion received a copy of the book Capita Selecta; Caribisch Fiscaal Recht,
presented by Tax Inspector Marco Aalbers and Tax Advisor Quincy Lont. Both
Aalbers and Lont are working in the tax field on Sint Maarten for many years and are
co-authors of the book.

The book contains a unique thematic introduction to tax law as it applies on Sint
Maarten, Curacao, Aruba, the BES islands and Suriname Read more

Mp Emmanuel: Govt. Too Comfortable With Increasing Tax Burden On People, Businesses

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday said he still cannot understand how a government that professes to care about its people is so comfortable and still unable to realistically tackle the issues that would improve their standard of living, but prefer to look at new ways to inflict more tax burden directly and indirectly upon them.

In this context, the MP referred to the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irions tax-reform presentation on Monday to Parliament as a presentation of nothing Read more

Soab: Szv Has Made Various Improvements In Financial Management

~ SZV receives near highest rating of an Auditors Opinion ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten For the first time, since the establishment of SZV ten (10) years ago, the organization has received the second highest rating of an Auditors Opinion on the financial statement. SZV received a Qualified Opinion for the 2020 financial statement, which was audited by the government audit bureau, Stichting Overheids Accountants Bureau (SOAB). The auditors report emphasized compliments to SZV, for the increasing improvements over the years in the financial management of the social & health insurance funds Read more

Government Meets With The Unions Over Vacation Allowance

~ To await Constitutional Court decision ~

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — On Tuesday, June 29th, the Honorable Ministers of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs; Justice, Anna Richardson; Finance, Ardwell Irion; Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, drs Read more

Emmanuel Calls On Irion To Inform Civil Servants About Vacation Pay

~ Says Naf 39 million only when Knops gets what he wants ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday called on Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to let civil servants know if they will get the 50% vacation pay owed to them from 2020 and the full 100% due for 2021 since there is no legal basis for a reduction or to not pay it Read more

Szv Urges Compliance Businesses Have To Pay Premiums Or Make Contact

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Social and health Insurance provider SZV has seen a drop of some NAf 4 million per month in premiums since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. This constitutes a significant loss for the solidarity fund that is built on a pay-as-you-go system that pays for the health care costs of all insured clients.

In spite of the drop in premiums, SZV is so far keeping pace with the needs of its clients. The decline in overseas medical referrals due to the pandemic has also helped as well as the availability of more treatments and specialists locally.

SZV has also seen the deregistration of some 4,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to December 2020 Read more

Emmanuel Questions What Pm Meant With Enough Liquidity

~ Still waiting on Finance Minister ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — A statement on St. Maartens liquidity position by Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and a non-statement by Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion on the same subject, is resulting in more confusion from the NA/UP government, said Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday, adding that the game of making general and empty statements by government continues to do a disservice to the country.

MP Emmanuel pointed out that on Monday, as quoted in The Daily Herald, the Prime Minister boastfully said that the country is not flat on its back when it comes to finances and that we do have for sure enough liquidity for us to continue to have this discussion Read more

Emmanuel Asks About More Cuts, How Internal Shifting Will Work

~ Says Irion trying to play word games ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Civil servants possibly having to sustain more cuts to their salaries and benefits was one of the main areas of concern highlighted by Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel during the Central Committee meeting discussion on the country reform package on Monday. In total the MP Emmanuel asked 73 questions about various aspects in the country reform package

The MP also took issue with the Minister of Finance for trying to use word games to deviate and mis-lead about hiring more people just a few weeks after cutting benefits and being instructed by the CFT to remove the budget 2021 post seeking to fill 155 vacancies Read more

Parliament Approves All Three Laws Presented To Enforce Cost Cutting Measures

~ A sacrifice was made, but salaries ensured ~

Philipsburg Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs together with Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion presented the three publicly debated legislative amendments to the Parliament of Sint Maarten on the cost cutting measures. The first being the Temporary National Ordinance to standardize the top incomes and reduce the employment benefits by 12.5% per July 1, 2020, within the (semi) public sector entities in order to meet the conditions set by the Government of the Netherlands for receiving the second tranche of liquidity support Read more

Mp Emmanuel: Govt. And MpS PlayingDangerous Game With Dutch

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Members of Parliament are playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the lives of the people of St. Maarten by hinting that they intend to accept funds from the Dutch, but not support the law that supports the COHO and the country packages with reforms. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel who added that MP’s are now stating that they have little to no information and are confused about what the Prime Minister signed with State Secretary Knops.

“When you listen to MP’s supporting this government who have been in the media making comments and on the floor of Parliament, you can deduct in what direction they are heading Read more