PHILIPSBURG--Committee for Financial Supervision CFT asked State Secretary of Interior and Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld Schouten to take up the issue of St. Maarten not having a 2010 budget with the Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday.

The request to the State Secretary was sent via letter on March 4 in time for the council meeting yesterday, Friday. No information could be obtained by press time on whether the State Secretary had briefed the council on the matter.

If the Executive Council of St. Maarten does not give any indication about adapting the 2010 budget to fit CFT norms and regulations by March 9, CFT is asking the State Secretary to seek authorization from the Council of Ministers to instruct St. Maarten to present an acceptable budget by a firmly stipulated date.

CFT supported its request by outlining a history of extensions St. Maarten had received to submit the 2010 budget.

CFT said St. Maarten failed to produce a number of vital documents, could not provide explanations for budgetary figures, and declined to submit a budget without taking the dismantling process into account, something CFT eventually suggested the Executive Council should do.

CFT advised the council to re-visit its 2010 budget and present a balanced budget without taking into account costs related to the dismantling process. This "new" budget will still have to be presented and approved by CFT. Once agreements have been finalised, CFT said, the Executive Council can always amend the 2010 budget on the floor of the Island Council.

CFT maintained that there is no firm agreement between the Central Government and the Island Government of St. Maarten regarding financing the transfer of tasks, and as such, assumptions cannot be used to determine the scope of financial obligations.

The instruction by the Kingdom Council of Ministers can entail implementing the same recommendations given by CFT in its letter of February 8, 2010 which included eliminating payment of cost of living adjustment for civil servants and subsidies for teachers and other government-subsidized institutions; increase of Turn Over Tax, increase of excise tax on gasoline, implementing excise tax on alcohol and tobacco, or implementing a casino tax.