Philipsburg:--- The Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing that he met with the Chief of Police Peter de Witte and made an agreement with the Police Chief where the controls on vehicles will begin on April 1st, 2013. Tuitt said the deadline for the payment of road tax passed on February 28th, 2013 but Government has decided to give those persons who have not yet paid their road tax a one month grace period in order for them to pay their road taxes.
Tuitt said that Naf. 2,728,000.00 was collected in January 2012 while in January 2013 Naf. 995,000.00 was collected. In the month of February 2012, Naf. 3,780,000.00 was collected while in February 2013, Naf. 3,071.000.00 was collected. Tuitt said in 2012 in the months of January to February 2013 Naf 6,508,000.00 was collected while in 2013 January and February Naf. 4,066,000.00 was collected. Tuitt said based on these figures so far there is a shortfall of Naf. 2.5 million guilders.
The Finance Minister said in 2012, 28,080 number plates were issued while in 2013 16,811 number plates were issued. Tuitt said there are 11,269 vehicle number plates that were not paid as of the end of February. The Finance Minister said right now we are in the middle of March and he believes that a number of people made their payments because people like to make their payments late.
Budget sent to Governor --- Booklet already at Parliament.
The Finance Minister also announced on Wednesday that his Ministry already sent the 2013 budget to the Governor of St. Maarten and he (the Governor) will then send on the documents to the Parliament of St. Maarten. Tuitt said while the actual budget documents were sent to the Governor, the booklet on the 2013 budget was sent to the Parliament of St. Maarten in order for them to start perusing the budget. Tuitt said a central committee meeting would have to be convened to discuss the budget then a Parliament meeting would have to be scheduled for the approval of the 2013 budget.
COLA Study will begin in April 2013.
Tuitt also responded to statements made by the WICLU on Tuesday regarding the COLA payments. The Finance Minister said that when he took office last year he had to make a budget amendment in order to fulfill the promise of the former government regarding the payment of the 2010 COLA. Tuitt said he made that payment, but government stated on a number of occasions that they are seeking outside expertise in order to modify or come up with a new structure for the COLA payments for the other years.
Minister Tuitt said that just recently when he was in the Netherlands he met with a company who has decided to come to St. Maarten to conduct a study for the government of St. Maarten. Tuitt said the Government of St. Maarten already received a proposal from that company and they are expected to come to St. Maarten in April 2013 to begin the study for the COLA restructuring. This study is expected the cost the government some 20,000 Euros.
