Government asked to agree to suspension of Tromp

June 06, 2012 5:39 PM

PHILIPSBURG--Government has been asked to agree to a suspension of Emsley Tromp, President of the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS), while an investigation into lapses in policy and integrity issues is executed.
 

The call for the investigation is related to the granting of a US $150 million bond to St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies. That bond was to allow the company room to reinvest and to finance the planned Simpson Bay Causeway.
  
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams made the request from CBCS President Robert Pietersz public during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers Press Conference. Government “will deliberate” on the board’s proposal and will respond “shortly.”
  
The reason given for the suspension request hinges on it not being proper to have the person that is also part of the investigation be on the job, Wescot-Williams explained.
  
The Council of Ministers has not yet taken any decision on whether to stop the building of the SimpsonBay causeway. Funding for the causeway is tied in the harbour bond loan. The matter has been raised in the Council.
  
Some of the bank supervisory board members have given government their point of view on the issuance of the bond. The management has also given their response. The harbour Group will give a presentation to the Council of Ministers soon.
  
Finance Minister Roland Tuitt recently met with Tromp about bank issues in general. One item warranting immediate attention is the approval of the bank’s 2012 budget. This is very necessary as severalSt.Maarten projects, including the build up of the local branch, have been held up.
  
Funds for the build up of the local branch are “extremely important” for the country, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said.
  
The moving ahead of investments by the Central Bank is another issue that needs to be cleared up as soon as possible. “This is a matter than needs to be quite clear because it is tied up in the discussion [about] the harbour bond,” Wescot-Williams said.
  
We would like to impress upon the [supervisory] board that they approve that budget as quickly as possible so items related to country St. Maarten can be carried out during this year,” Tuitt said.
  
Tuitt, as new minister, has also held meetings with several departments within his ministry.
  
He also has meetings planned with the commercial banks to gauge from their perspective “how the economy is going” and to seek “some financial items” government can deal with to get the economy out of its current slowdown.