MP Rolando Brison on behalf of the UP Faction questions Minister of Finance

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – To the Minister of the Finance:

Income of the National Budget, we are seeing an increase.

1. In terms of the collection efforts to help strengthen the Receiver to collect, please provide an insight as to what efforts are being 2021 to achieve the goals listed within the income.
2. Are there any plans to continue to strengthen and improve the efforts of the Receivers dept and other departments?

Contracting of Country Loans

1. Please explain what prevents you to go on the open market and try to attract reasonable competitive loans to help pay civil servants, pay vacation salaries etc.

• If you were able to contract on the local market, what would be some of the favorable conditions, interest rates, etc you as Minister Finance would look at, for example, loan repay terms for liquidity.

Please explain?

• Are interest rates measured? And by who if judge is a loan favorable or not?  Please explain.

UTS Funds

Please provide an update.

There were still other strategic assets to be sold after the sale of UTS.

Is Country SXM expecting any additional funds as result of the sale of UTS?

Airport

1. Can the actual concession agreement between the government and the airport be shared with Parliament?
2. Please list all fees/ taxes that are due to Country SXM, that the airport is actually collecting because of the concession.

Budget post van Deskundige

1. Please indicate what happened to this budget post, as it is no longer listed in the 2021 budget.
2. Is there any initiative from the Ministry of Finance to create a pool of experts or fund to pay experts that would assist the various Ministries especially with legislative support?
3. What is the funding for this?

Belastingdienst der Inspectie

ATS – is actively reviewing and auditing.

1. Will the minister consider synchronizing the efforts of the Inspection service together with the SZV?
2. What should be done on the Minister of Finance end to integrate ATS into the tax inspection/tax auditing system that we have in St. Maarten

Interest payments – Totale rente en afschrijvingen. – reduced by 2.7 mil

1. How did Minister of Finance achieve this significant savings of 11%?
2. Account controle – 1 mil – Please provide the intention for this?
3. Project and activities – 1.5 mil – is this in additional to the capital expenditures for improvement of financial control?
4. What do those projects entails?

Mortgage funds

Please provide the structural steps that the Minister need to take/or have taken to make this a reality.

Insurance – CRIFT

Given on a Pre-determine scenario.

1. Please indicate if the Government is still considering the CRIFT insurance?
2. Are there any other insurance owed to government to collect for the year 2021?

Capital expenditure budget

1. For a planning perspective, the 32 million budget, is this all that is expected for budget 2021?  Or are there other additional expenses might be needed in 2022. 
2. What is the Minister of Finance expecting for the next 1.5 years?

SSRP

As the economy improves, what the SSRP is estimates will be from June to December 2021.

Please provide estimates.

Formatie Plan

Large discrepancies with the total werkplek?

1. From a financial perspective, what is the Minister thoughts on making the adjustments to what the total formation is? 
2. Can those saving translate in the budget?

Central Bank

1. What can The Government expect from the Central bank in terms of legislation support?
2. Is the Central Bank involved in the Mortgage guarantee?
3.  Can the Central Bank assist with the financing of the Mortgage guarantee?
4. Is the Central bank going forward with the Gold reserve, this is not reflected in the 2021 budget.
5. 1% license fee…is this still plans for an increase in 2021

SZV

What is currently owed to SZV 

What is expected to be paid to SZV in 2021 to assist with the financial debt to SZV?

Government Assets

According to the accountability ordinance

1. What are the challenges to come up with the proper evaluation to include all the infrastructural assets to fit the criteria of art 24, and if this achieved would this be something to strengthen your stands  on the International market?