Minister says vehicle leases would draw from an already stretched operating budget, while confirming provisions for retroactive overtime and other payments to justice workers.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling warned that leasing vehicles cannot resolve her ministry’s underlying funding needs, even as the government considers keeping critical services mobile.
Responding to MP Ardwell Irion, Tackling said the Ministry of Justice has requested 4.47 million in the 2027 capital budget.
She emphasized that construction of the new prison and the separate project referred to in the transcript as “Asakura” are excluded from that amount.
According to the minister, the largest justice projects therefore do not depend on the ministry’s requested capital allocation.
Capital Funding Uncertainty Could Delay Investments
Tackling said investments financed through borrowing must fit within the applicable interest burden limit.
If capital funding is unavailable, the ministry would have to examine which investments could lawfully be covered through its operating budget and which would need to be postponed.
She acknowledged that the specific risk had not yet been formally discussed with Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs.
However, Tackling said the Finance Minister would address the capital expenditure questions herself when appearing before Parliament, given her direct discussions with the Committee for Financial Supervision, CFT.
Leasing Shifts the Cost
Tackling confirmed that vehicle leasing is an option and said arrangements were already being pursued for the Court of Guardianship.
But she cautioned that leasing transfers expenditure to the operating budget rather than creating additional resources.
“A lease is paid from the operational budget, which for us in justice is already stretched,” she said.
Every guilder committed to a lease would consequently be unavailable for another operational need.
“Leasing is a practical bridge, but it’s not a solution for us within the Ministry,” Tackling said.
She explained that leases could maintain mobility for officers and social workers in the short term, while requiring the ministry to prioritize its most critical vehicle needs.
Court of Guardianship Vehicle Request with Finance
Responding to MP Sjamira Roseburg, Tackling said funds had been made available for the Court of Guardianship to lease vehicles from October through December 2026.
The request was with the Ministry of Finance for processing.
She said the 2027 budget would provide for continued leasing, if necessary, once approved, and includes an allocation of 162,000 to purchase vehicles for the department.
These provisions represent planned funding and processing arrangements; the responses did not confirm that the vehicles had already been delivered.
Workers should not buy essential supplies
Tackling said justice departments are responsible for supplying the materials and equipment employees need to perform their duties.
The proposed 2027 budget is intended to cover those needs, based on departmental estimates and experience with previous budgets.
Where workers have already purchased necessary supplies themselves, reimbursement requests would be assessed individually. Relevant considerations include the necessity of the purchase, applicable employment rules, prior authorization, and supporting receipts.
The minister distinguished those cases from personal preferences, such as an officer purchasing a different holster despite being provided with standard equipment.
Such discretionary replacements, she said, would not qualify for reimbursement merely because the employee preferred another product.
Retroactive Overtime and PKET Budgeted
Responding to MP Lyndon Lewis, Tackling confirmed that retroactive overtime and PKET payments are budgeted.
She identified budget post 41027 for retroactive overtime and post 41003 for PKET.
She also said workers who resigned before January 1, 2023, fall within phase two of the process being discussed.
The minister did not provide payment dates in these responses.
Overtime Rates Depend on Rank and Duty Period
Tackling explained that police overtime is generally paid as a fixed amount for each full hour worked, with rates determined by rank and when the work occurs.
For an agent, she cited 27 guilders per hour on weekdays and Saturdays, 35 guilders on Sundays, public holidays, or rest days, and 43 guilders during calamities or extraordinary circumstances.
She said inspectors and chief inspectors are treated differently, normally receiving compensatory time, with payment possible at their request under the applicable rules.
Additional allowances may apply, including a night allowance of four guilders per hour between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and a standby allowance of 150 guilders per day.
Overtime, she emphasized, must be ordered by or on behalf of the police chief.
