PHILIPSBURG--The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT is somewhat disappointed with the Council of Ministers' response to its proposed additional measures to better streamline St. Maarten's budget process.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams wrote to the CFT on March 11, telling the committee there was no need for additional supervision or measures, because the island already had laws and supporting structures in place.
CFT communications advisor Jacob de Glee told The Daily Herald the letter had raised "some disappointment," because the committee thought it had an agreement with Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto based on talks earlier this month.
These talks and agreements were followed up by a letter from Wescot-Williams on behalf of the Council of Ministers that basically said, 'Thanks for the suggestions, but St. Maarten can manage.' She stated in the letter that government would be appointing a 'budget-keeper' and proposed a monitoring committee to oversee the budget process.
The budget-keeper, a CFT staffer and an independent advisor would serve on the monitoring committee. Based on this committee's reports, government would provide periodic updates to CFT.
De Glee pointed out that it was the "right" of the Council of Ministers to take a position on CFT's proposals and that some of the approaches raised by the ministers were "slightly" the same.
Asked why push for additional monitoring structures when, as the prime minister stated, several institutions such as the General Audit Chamber and the Office of the Ombudsman are in place, De Glee said these institutions were "good to have in place," but they "still have to find their place" within the government structure, as they are essentially new.
The CFT, he added, is part of the existing monitoring structure for government and will be there for the coming few years. "CFT has a role in the budget process," he added.
As for the ministers' claim that a CFT office in St. Maarten would help vastly with the budget process and increase understanding of the local situations and challenges, De Glee said this was not a valid argument and it was definitely not the case that CFT staffers or board did not understand the local situation.
De Glee doesn't see the opening of a CFT office here because the secretariat already operates with a "small staff." There is constant contact between CFT and government, in particular the Finance Minister and ministry, he added. "We have people in St. Maarten almost every week."
Wescot-Williams met with the CFT board for St. Maarten and Cura�ao in the Netherlands on Friday, but information on that meeting is not yet available. De Glee also is awaiting the results of that meeting to chart the way forward for the CFT Secretariat, headquartered in Cura�ao.
St. Maarten is still awaiting the appointment of its proposed member, businessman Michel Soons, to the CFT board by the Kingdom Council of Ministers. The continued delay has become a point of contention for government, with Wescot-Williams stating in her recent letter to CFT that it is the ministers' belief that most of the issues related to the 2011 budget hinged on the lack of representation for St. Maarten on the CFT board.
Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/15016-cft-disappointed-in-govts-response.html
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