PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs announced on Wednesday that the government of St Maarten cannot transfer the funds for the 1% COLA payments owed to teachers. Gumbs said that the government was able to pay the vacation allowances to these teachers but the COLA payment will have to wait until have the 2024 budget amendment.
The Minister of Finance could not provide a definite timeline for the payments but stressed that she is working on the matter. Teachers from all government schools received their 1% COLA in December 2023, while those from the subsidized schools are still waiting.
The government of St. Maarten has a covenant with the CCSU, in which the government agreed to pay at least 3% in COLA payments to all civil servants.
