NAf. 39.56 million allocated
in draft budget for subsidies
PHILIPSBURG--Government has allotted funds for a total amount of NAf. 39.56 million in the draft 2007 budget for subsidies to various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the school boards and various sponsored activities.
Government had allotted NAf. 52.8 million for subsidies in last year’s budget. The final bill of 2006 was a mere NAf. 21 million, meaning that not all allocated funds had been spent.
During Monday’s Island Council meeting, St. Maarten Democratic Party (DP) Councilwoman Maria Buncamper-Molanus gave an overview of the 52 NGOs and other entities that are slated to receive subsidies. All amounts are in Netherlands Antilles guilders, NAf.
There are some newcomers this year, like Foundation Mental Health Care for 350,000 and the District Bridge Gap and Training Healthy Lifestyle for which 150,000 has been reserved. Also new is the 168,000 for the District Community School Programme.
Standing out is the increase in subsidy for the White and Yellow Cross. Besides 1.4 million in subsidy for regular operations, this organisation is receiving an additional 480,000 for the consultation bureaus. The White and Yellow Cross had financial problems last year and threatened to stop the consultation bureaus whose operations it has been financing.
The subsidy to St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) has also been increased to one million guilders.
Large subsidies go to the various school boards. Foundation Catholic Education receives 4.7 million, Adventist School Board 800,000, the Methodist School Board has been allotted 3.5 million, while 2.1 million has been set aside for Protestant education and 500,000 has been reserved for University of St. Martin (USM).
Schools
The biggest educational subsidy goes to the Secondary Education School Board: 12.7 million. A subsidy of 147,000 is reserved for No Kidding with Our Kids Foundation which runs After School Activities (ASA), while St. Maarten Institution for Technology and Hospitality (SMITH) should receive 350,000.
Money is also allotted for the various community councils and centres: Rupert I. Maynard Community Centre 87,000; St. Peters Community Council 7,200; Dutch Quarter Community Centre 17,000; Simpson Bay Community Centre 80,000; Belvedere Community Centre 120,900; John Larmonie Centre 50,000; Philipsburg Community and Cultural Centre 118,000.
Other organisations for which subsidy is allocated: St. Maarten Business Development Foundation 110,000; Social Economic Council St. Maarten 36,300; Philipsburg Jubilee Library 1.06 million; Safe Haven 210,000; Youth Council 33,600; AIDS Foundation 78,000; St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation 412,000; Diabetes Foundation 50,000; Foundation for Drug Rehabilitation 270,000; Foundation Sunbeam 138,000; Gateway to Excellence 54,000; Motiance Dance School 30,000; St. Maarten Heritage Foundation 90,000; St. Maarten Animal Welfare 10,000; St. Maarten Carnival Foundation 180,000; SUNFed 121,000; Disaster Relief and Home Repair 250,000; Helping Hands 40,500; Alternative to Incarceration Programme 200,000; Centre for Information and Formation for the Welfare of Children SIFMA 54,000; Victorious Living 21,600; Scouts 1,800.
Government additionally is making available funds for events and activities like the Christmas programme 60,000; Carnival promotional activities 180,000; SummerFest 180,000; SMART trade show 80,000; Miss Hibiscus 20,000; Heineken Regatta 180,000; exchange of artists 80,000; and St. Maarten Day 10,000.
Buncamper-Molanus made use of the opportunity during her speaker’s time to ask about the status of the request by Animals R Friends for a piece of land to build an animal shelter. She also urged government to do something about the ugly sight of areas where trash is collected in (larger) bins and containers.
Sewage
The DP in the person of Buncamper-Molanus had submitted 21 questions during the first meeting of the Central Committee in December last year. One of the questions had to do with the sewage situation and she asked why more money hadn’t been allocated in the draft budget to solve this.
Government replied that an amount of NAf. 10.5 million was available for the upgrading of the sewage system/plant on A.Th. Illidge Road and another NAf. 2.7 million for the expansion and sewage in general which would be funded by USONA. Included in this development will be the upgrading sewage works in the South Reward and St. Peters areas. Once the main sewage line is completed, all of Ebenezer and certain areas of South Reward will be connected to the system.
Buncamper-Molanus also questioned the limited amounts reserved for beach cleaning, the advertising budget for tourism promotion, monument care and USM. She wanted to know why the amount that government expected to receive from casino licence fees had dropped to NAf. 8.2 million.
Where it concerned monies that government was yet to receive from casinos, it was explained that an amount of NAf. 575,000 from 2003 was deemed uncollectible by the Island Receiver.
St Maarten vacation rental
