Parliament approves supplemental budget

August 28, 2008 8:00 AM

Parliament has approved the 2008 supplemental budget yesterday and passé the proposal with 12 votes in favour and 3 against.
Changing the budget was necessary, because the Order in Council for the Kingdom (AMvRB) was not done yet and because of that, the dept restructuring ad not started. This means that the Antilles must self pay part of the interest this year. This budget is balanced.

Another reason for the budget-change is that the Antilles and the Netherlands have agreed on a different interpretation of the collective sector, which affects the debt restructuring. Contrary to accepting the budget in December of last year, the debts that the government has with the SVB- and AVBZ funds are not assumed by the Netherlands.

Only three Members of Parliament used their right to say something. Nelson Navarro (FK) indicated that just like the original budget of the end of last year, the supplemental budget was approved based on the assumption that the Netherlands will keep her promise and assume the debts of the Antilles. He established that nothing of this is done in practice. ‘I agree with the importance of a clean start, but I am also against that fact that others are going to pay off your debts. Because as country, you will no longer have anything to say, and just accept everything. We are now in this situation.”

Navarro cried shame over the recent statements of secretary of state Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (Kingdom Relations, CDA), who said that if the political process is not ready in 2011, it makes no sense to continue.

Also MAN-member Dwigno Puriel cries shame over the budget and the current political process. He demanded monthly inspection of the budget depletion of the Land. Finance-minister Ersilia de Lannooy (PNP) didn’t have problem with that.

Erno Labega (DP St. Maarten): “As parliamentary party, we have voted in favour of the final declaration. This budget contains many matters that result from the final declaration. It would be crazy to vote against this budget.”

The budget was finally approved with 12 votes in favour and 3 against. Some Parliament-members couldn’t vote because they forgot to sign the attendance list.

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

August 27, 2008