The Daily Herald

The continued lack of approval of the 2010 budget of the Island Territory of St. Maarten is reason for growing concern. That's at least what one can conclude from today's article on the latest letter reportedly sent out just a few days ago by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT, giving the Executive Council seven days to present a budget conforming to the norms determined in the framework of Financial Supervision as condition for the debt relief that accompanies the process of constitutional change.
Apparently the Island Government is still having trouble complying with these requirements, at least in the eyes of the CFT. This was already clear from the latter's December 16 letter to the Lt. Governor reported on in Tuesday's edition, in which a January 14 deadline was also given and to which the Executive Council has since responded.
That the opposition party DP complained about Island Council members only receiving the December 16 letter last week is understandable. After all, it is almost mid-February and a final draft budget is yet to be presented to the Island Council, let alone approved; a highly unusual and undesirable situation.
While the law allows for the continued governing of the island based on last year's budget, that certainly cannot be the intention for very long. Any government that respects itself should in any case have a proper budget in place to support its policies at the start of the year.
There are mitigating circumstances, including financial and other consequences of the process of dismantling the Netherlands Antilles. That is likely to have an effect on not just this year's figures, but also the long-term multi-annual budgeting that CFT appears to be requiring.
Then again, that St. Maarten is in transition to acquiring country status was known to all for some time and while the CFT requirements may make things a little more difficult, the 2009 budget also was prepared and presented when the financial supervision was already in effect. It's also important to remember that last year's budget was presented by the former DP Executive Council and one can rightfully question how responsible it is for the NA/Heyliger Executive Council that took over mid-2009 to continue governing well into the New Year based on that "old" budget.
All in all, there can be little doubt that the finalisation of this year's budget has become an urgent matter. Continued non-compliance could well have consequences for the process of establishing new relations within the Dutch Kingdom scheduled for 10-10-10.