WILLEMSTAD:--- While on Curacao, Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin received a presentation on the Integrity Bureau of Curacao. The presentation outlined its structure, the functioning of the organization and the laws that govern its operations.
The SOAB, Prosecutor’s Office, and the General Audit Chamber are a few of the entities that partner and are involved in the overall functioning of the Integrity Bureau. The Integrity Bureau of Curacao focuses on preventative measures, bringing awareness to Civil Servants, taking a bottom up approach and it also has an investigative role.
Following the political transition to Country status on 10-10-10 the Government of Sint Maarten was busy with establishing its own Integrity Bureau on Sint Maarten but this has been amended to the newly approved Integrity Chamber.
As the Government of Sint Maarten is preparing for the implementation of the Integrity Chamber and the other islands are working on their own forms of integrity institutions it is of the utmost importance to explore how all efforts can be collaborated to possibly establish one Integrity entity.
This will need further consultations with the Prime Ministers of Curacao and Aruba, thus further talks are expected to take place on Monday.
In another meeting, Prime Minister Romeo Marlin met with Curacao’s Minister of Finance Kenneth Gijsbertha to discuss cooperation on the Central Bank level. The objective was to explore the possibilities of having the Central Bank provide lower rates for loans via the local banks on Sint Maarten so that businesses in general can continue the rebuilding process in light of the insurance payment delays.
The success of such an initiative is crucial for businesses on Sint Maarten, the Minister of Finance Gijsbertha will discuss this with the board of the Central Bank and will be visiting Sint Maarten to further discuss these possibilities, additional to the discussions will be the appointment of a Sint Maarten Director of Central Bank and the appointment of a new President of the Central Bank will also be on the agenda.
