Budget cut by almost Naf.2M, MPs Travelling continues.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Sara Wescot Williams shared much concern on the parliament's budget for the year 2015 on Monday at a press conference. Wescot Williams and the party's advisor Emil Lee said that they are of the opinion that the Parliament of St. Maarten should sit down and discuss its budget since the budget for 2015 was cut by almost Naf. 2M. Wescot Williams said that while Parliament received this large budget cut so far the Parliament of St. Maarten have not seen it fit to discuss how they will cut their spending. She said most of the monies which is a bit lower than Naf. 11M goes to the salaries of Members of Parliament and their travelling allowances while the rest is spent on other costs. Wescot Williams said that so far the individual factions does not have a budget of their own and what is more alarming is that a mere .58% ( Naf.75.000.00) is allocated for legal and expert advice.
While that amount of monies is available for legal and expert advice MP's who wishes to tap into that money for legal advice has to go through a long procedure because the monies are being controlled by Government since Parliament does not have its own accounting in place. "Besides that whichever MP or faction needs finances for legal advice they have to submit a request to Parliament and they also have to motivate their request before it is being approved.
Wescot Williams further explained that former Members of Parliament who were not elected on August 29th 2014 still have to be paid for a period of time. As for the last election some five MPs were not reelected and the sum of NAF. 1.968.199.00 has to be set aside to pay these five Members of Parliament who were not reelected. Both Wescot Williams and her advisor Emil Lee said that they believed that the Parliament of St. Maarten has revisit this because this could really hamper the budget in the future. Wescot Williams said what if in the next election none of the current Members of Parliament are not reelected then most of the budget has to be set aside to pay the non-elected MPs, except those that reaches the age of 60.
Asked if the MPs that were civil servants still have to be paid, Wescot Williams said that do have to be paid the difference of what they are making now compared to what they were making while in Parliament.
Wescot Williams further explained that the Lions club requested to meet with Parliament to discuss the campaign they are currently running on underage drinking. She said that meeting was set for Friday but the Chairman of Parliament chose to postpone the meeting because most of the MPs are leaving the island to attend Aruba Day celebrations. Asked by SMN News if she will be going to Aruba for their celebrations Wescot Williams said that she respectfully declined the offer.
When SMN News asked the MP what is her opinion on St. Maarten's participation in the Parlatino meetings the Democratic Party Member of Parliament further explained that there were some discussions to limit the attendance of the Parlatino meetings but that discussion did not finalized. Asked if the MPs that attended the Parlatino meetings during the last governing period submitted reports to Parliament on what the meetings were about and how St. Maarten benefitted she said that has not happened because they claim that reports are being set out by the Parlatino organization.
Wescot Williams also mentioned that to date they have not gotten the documents they requested from the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies.
Click here to view the breakdown of St. Maarten's Parliament budget compared to 2013.
