PHILIPSBURG:--- Money Laundering and terrorism financing present global threats. In the context of Sint Maarten’s position as a small international business and tourism destination with first-class electronic funds transfer and which also uses the Euro and the United States dollar, we cannot exclude ourselves from the responsibility of preventing as far as possible, the use of our jurisdiction by criminals. The continued integrity and stability of our economy and financial system should provide strong support for our growth as a nation. The converse, being infiltration by the criminal fraternity, could seriously damage these. This is a responsibility the Sint Maarten Government takes particularly seriously.
Recommendation 1 of the Financial Action Task Force, the global standard setting body against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, indicates that every country should identify, assess, and understand these risks for its economy, its system, and its governance framework.
Based on a process of assessment, further indicated as a National Risk Assessment, and abbreviated as NRA, countries should apply a risk-based approach to ensure that measures to prevent or mitigate money laundering and terrorist financing are introduced commensurate with the risks identified.
The NRA is performed at a national level and the development of this assessment and plan of action is intended to cover approximately one year and a half, ending approximately December 2023 with a final report. The results of this assessment are thus intended to assist Sint Maarten in creating a more robust framework against money laundering and terrorism financing.
A finalized National Risk Assessment will reflect the commitment by the Government of Sint Maarten to uphold the highest international standards in protecting this jurisdiction against criminal abuse. However, this NRA is not a one-time event: It is anticipated that this developed NRA in the future will need to be updated at least every four years as to be able to adapt and follow through on new and emerging trends of crimes.
A sound financial sector, a sound investment climate, and a safe Sint Maarten are of paramount importance. Sint Maarten welcomes honest entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions, and clients. Sint Maarten however as such will not take part, actively nor passively, in concealing the source of criminal funds or in facilitating cash flows for terrorist purposes.
Central to the compilation of this NRA will be a methodological joint participatory process that will enable Sint Maarten to identify the main drivers of ML/TF risks. This process will be guided by a methodology (tool) developed by the World Bank (WB). An introductory workshop informing on the use of this WB tool was presented to the Sint Maarten main stakeholders in June of this year (2022). Besides government entities, financial institutions and other businesses will be invited to actively participate in this process and in the near future will be requested by representatives of the “Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten” (CBCS), and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), to participate in interviews, focus groups or fill out questionnaires which will be useful in finalizing this NRA.
It is important to stress the fact that for the development of this NRA, input from both public and private sector stakeholders in Sint Maarten will be vital to finalize and put into action a complete and all-encompassing national risk plan against the crimes of money laundering and terrorism financing.
In completing this exercise months from now, Sint Maarten will gain a collective understanding of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks that it faces. Through an Action Plan that will be developed alongside this NRA, we will be in a strong position to enhance the existing framework and where necessary introduce new measures to provide further protection.
Sint Maarten will also be in an enhanced position to enter the 4th round of mutual evaluation by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force which for Sint Maarten is set to initiate in 2024.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Over the course of the last few weeks, while carrying out targeted traffic checks, several vehicles suspected of being stolen were confiscated by the police. In the course of inspection of the vehicles, it was discovered that the VIN numbers and/or engine numbers had been modified or changed.
throughout the months of July and August, some 7 people were detained by the police because they had bought or were in possession of a car believed to have been stolen

The Police Force of Sint Maarten KPSM reminds the public to avoid purchasing potentially stolen vehicles. Many stolen vehicles are resold well below their actual value. Some buyers have no idea that the vehicles were stolen until it is too late. At that point, the buyers are at a double disadvantage, because the vehicle will be confiscated, they could be arrested for being in possession of stolen goods, and monies will be lost.

Officers are busy conducting spot checks on vehicles that are mostly stolen as well as being resold on the island.

KPSM has been working together with French side counterparts to halt the vehicle thefts on the island.
Law enforcement from both sides of the island has intensifying controls on all vehicles that are presumed stolen.

KPSM Press Release.

PHILIPSBURG:---  They are in serious contravention of several laws, but obviously see nothing wrong with such.”

During the first meeting of parliament following the recess, MP Wescot again denounced the government’s indifferent attitude towards the parliament and the population at large.

I had expected, after not having MPs in their hair for the entire parliamentary recess, that the government would have taken the time to address some of the burning issues that continue to hold our community in their grip, the MP explained.

“Moreover, that the government sees no urgency in getting the amended budget 2022 to parliament to cover government’s financial actions that do not have parliamentary approval by means of an amended budget, is outright illegal.”

MP Wescot: “Imagine that it was said to parliament by the government that they had the CFT’s blessing to pay out vacation allowance to civil servants, only to see this being contradicted by the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, Mrs. Van Huffelen in her reporting on the withholding of approval for liquidity assistance for the 3rd quarter 2022.”

In the view of the MP, it remains unclear how the government maneuvered the vacation allowance payout without the retraction of the law, that the government itself initiated to cut civil servants and other categories of workers’ benefits by 12.5%, but on the other hand, refuses to liaise with the subsidized entities about how these entities can also provide partial relief to their workers.

To add insult to injury, the change that the government submitted to parliament, to undo the suspension of the vacation allowance, has raised the question of equality towards all those, such as school teachers in the employ of subsidized school boards, whose benefits have also been cut and the government has not undertaken any steps to undo this law, even in part to allow the school boards, if they did not pay out vacation allowance, based on the 12.5% cut, to also pay vacation allowance.

While I have questioned in detail this show of blatant inequality between workers, these answers are yet to be provided, stated MP Wescot.

“The latest public statement, coming from the Deputy Prime Minister in this context, is that he, along with the Minister of Finance has a solution, to be divulged soon.”

Hence my statement at the opening of the meeting on Monday: “Does the government not consider that the Members of Parliament, like myself, who have raised this matter over and over again, deserve straightforward answers?

Does the government that prides itself on transparency and openness not consider the seriousness of flaunting the budget right of parliament?
The National Accountability Ordinance is clear: “Expenditures outside of the approved budget only are allowed in extreme cases, and even if so, must get parliamentary approval as soon as possible”, MP Wescot concluded.

Willemstad:--- The SER has issued advice to the Minister of Social Development, Labor, and Welfare (SOAW) regarding the proposal to apply an additional reduction of 10% on benefits paid under the National Ordinance General Old Age Insurance (AOV) and the National Ordinance General Widows and Orphans Insurance (AWW) which are being paid to non-residents of Curaçao. The proposed measure is a result of the government's long-standing efforts to secure the payment of old-age pensions and widows’ and orphans’ benefits in spite of the increasing deficits of these social funds.
In 2017, non-residents already had to deal with a 10% reduction in their AOV and AWW benefits. By then, the justification of this reduction was that non-residents contribute almost 30% less to the local economy compared to residents by not contributing to the General Fund for Special Medical Expenses (AVBZ), nor to the turnover tax (OB) or the Gross Added Value (VAT) of the country. With the proposed measure to again apply a reduction of 10%, an attempt is made to balance the AOV and AWW funds without increasing the National Contribution to the fund.