PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Finance Martin Hassink issued a strong call to all road users on Wednesday asking them to start paying their road taxes now. Minister Hassink said the number plates are already on St. Maarten and the sale of those number plates began on January 8th, 2014. He said the deadline for the payment of road tax is February 28th, 2014 and made clear that there will be no extensions. Minister Hassink said on March 1st, 2014, the police will begin road controls to ensure that all vehicle owners pay their road tax. As for the 2013 road tax, the Minister said that the Government of St. Maarten collected some Naf. 7.2 million while they lacked about Naf. 1.5 million guilders. The Minister had announced late last year that persons who did not pay their road tax would have been fined Naf. 350. 00 since the police would have conducted some stiff controls to catch the persons who did not pay their road tax for 2013. When asked about that on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance said they had to abandon that plan because the legislation for issuing the fines finished too late in the year and the police did not conduct the controls as planned.
2014 Budget to be Discussed Next Week.
The Minister of Finance also announced on Wednesday that he intends to present the 2014 budget to parliament next week. The proceedings will begin in a central committee meeting before it is discussed on the floor of parliament for the approval of parliament. Minister Hassink said the CFT gave St. Maarten until January 16th and he is hoping to get through the Parliamentary sessions at least one day prior to the deadline.
The 2014 budget which had to be cut several times based on the advice of the CFT stands at 427 million guilders.
The Finance Minister also made clear that this year the Government of St. Maarten will place strong focus on cost cutting measures and tax compliance.