Philipsburg:---- Commissioner Buncamper- Molanus of Economic Affairs, Miguel De Weever, the Sector Director of Economy & Tourism and Veronica Jansen her Executive Assistant attended a meeting with Jeanette Davelaar the acting head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of the Netherlands Antilles, Mike Jacobs the section head Social Demographics and Maureen Blokland the section head National Accounts.
The purpose of this meeting was to get a better understanding of the current set up of CBS Netherlands Antilles and the pending projects for St. Maarten in 2009.The staffing and training of the CBS SXM staff was also discussed.
The executive Council of St. Maarten decided that Country St. Maarten should have its own Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).This new entity should take over the responsibilities of CBS Netherlands Antilles. In the last roundtable conference for the restructuring of the Netherlands Antilles it was decided that St. Maarten would assume the responsibilities of the CBS in July 2009.
A letter was sent to the Minister of Economic affairs responsible for the CBS in October 2008 to express St. Maarten's intent to establish CBS St. Maarten. The Minister was also requested to facilitate the training of identified persons in the Department of Economic Policy & Research (DEPR) at the CBS in Curacao to ensure knowledge transfer and the transfer of historic data. The most important services CBS within Country St. Maarten will offer will be National Accounts, Consumer Price Statistics and Social Demographics.
"If we are to have our own CBS in the near future, then personnel from St. Maarten should already be involved in the CBS projects that are taking place this year. There are two people in DEPR who currently do the fieldwork and it would be good if these people can already be used for the upcoming research projects," the Commissioner said. There is limited capacity within CBS to train people but it is important for St. Maarten to have people work along with CBS on the current projects. We also requested information pertaining to internship places at CBS," she added.
The Commissioner explained that while in receipt of the letter from the Executive Council of St. Maarten which was approved by the council on October 14, 2008 pertaining to the establishment of a Central Bureau of Statistics on St. Maarten, the CBS clearly has not taken any action to transfer any of its authority. During the meeting mention was made by CBS that they have not received any direction from the Central Government as it pertains to the constitutional developments.
Nevertheless, Ms. Davelaar will forward the financial statements of the CBS while CBS will cooperate with St. Maarten to establish the CBS St. Maarten and will start with the training for St. Maarten. "By July 1, 2009 there will be a CBS St. Maarten and the island according to political agreements is expected to take over all staff that was employed before December 2007, while those employed after that date can be taken over as well. So it is important that we continue to work together and synchronize our research so that comparisons can be made," Buncamper-Molanus said.