Philipsburg:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers press briefing that several issues of concern to St. Maarten were discussed during her meeting with the President of the Central Bank Emsley Tromp.The Prime Minister said issues such as the upgrading of the Central Bank office on St. Maarten were discussed including government's request on a loan through bonds to complete the new government building on Pond Island. Prime Minister Wescot Williams said the President of the Central Bank is busy working on the plans of approach on the separation of the Central Bank and the consequences it would have on the two countries namely Curacao and St. Maarten. Also to be included in the plans of approach are the proposals to deal with the consequences. The Central Bank is also busy preparing a report for St. Maarten on currency as was requested.
Wescot Williams said on January 6th the government of St. Maarten made a request through the CFT for 76 million guilders. These monies she said was to be used to complete the new government building on Pond Island. Wescot Williams said according to the breakdown, 49 million guilders was to be used for the completion of the building while 27 million guilders was to be used to pay off the pre-financing of the building. The Prime Minister said the new government building is costing government monies on a weekly basis. She said government will need another 3.8 million guilders for the site cost that is now building up. Wescot Williams said that it is important for government to acquire the loan through bonds to complete the new government building since it is costing government a lot of monies.
The Prime Minister also confirmed that the Central Bank has been paying the one percent license fee that is collected by the Central Bank for the government of St. Maarten. She said the Central Bank has paid approximately 2 million guilders per month in licenses fee to St. Maarten.
