Holiday, Larmonie new
SOAB board members
PHILIPSBURG--Foundation Government Accountant’s Bureau SOAB has two new board members in the persons of Eugene Holiday and Julien Larmonie.
The two new board members, appointed since earlier this year, were introduced during a reception at Pasanggrahan Royal Guest House Tuesday evening. Also introduced was Chairman Freddy Curiel who was appointed in October last year. The reception also served as a farewell for secretary of the SOAB board Frank Kunneman.
St. Maarten now has two members on the Supervisory Board of Directors. Russell Voges is the other member for St. Maarten. Curiel and Larmonie represent Curaçao. When a vacancy opened up on the five-member board, it was decided to fill that spot with a St. Maartener and as a result Holiday was nominated.
Curiel said Holiday was an ideal candidate because of his “knowledge, tact and experience.” Curiel knew Holiday, as well as Larmonie from constitutional meetings. Holiday and Larmonie are the chairmen of the constitutional work group of their respective island.
Curiel is also an advisor for the Central Government in the constitutional field. Holiday is also President of Princess Juliana International Airport the Operating Company PJIAE and a member of the Board of Directors of the Development Fund Netherlands Antilles SONA.
SOAB, said Curiel, has never been an organisation that only focused on Curaçao. All islands are important, he stressed. “We want to be the accountant of the country St. Maarten,” he said, explaining that SOAB has very good relations with the Executive Council for which it has been doing several jobs.
“St. Maarten is a major client,” said Director Geomaly Martes, anticipating that business will grow even further if the island becomes a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Central Government is also a big client.
SOAB is a foundation that assists governments in the Netherlands Antilles. Not only is SOAB the internal accountant for the islands and Central Government, the organisation also is involved in the process of constitutional reform. SOAB is involved in the setting up of financial supervision, the division of assets and liabilities, the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, and the construction of the new countries Curaçao and St. Maarten.
SOAB during a meeting on St. Maarten on Tuesday formally approved to adapt its statutes facilitating the introduction of a Supervisory Board of Directors. Until now the foundation was run according to an older model. Now, the members of the Supervisory Board of Directors will be board members supervising management, while management will have the managing responsibility. Martes explained that the change in the statutes was made in the interest of corporate governance.
The “new” SOAB board and the director paid an introductory visit to Saba and St. Eustatius on Wednesday.
