As foreseen, the continued problems with the budget are starting to have an effect on the public sector. For example the planned expansion of the Pointe Blanche prison by adding two floors to the building has been delayed (see related story).
That is not good, as there is a well-documented lack of detention space on the Dutch side that frequently leads to sentence reductions and lengthy delays in the execution thereof. This to a certain extent erodes confidence in law enforcement and the “do the crime, do the time” principle.
After all, neither the police cells nor the jailhouse at Simpson Bay are suited to be viable alternatives. The former is intended only for short-term pre-trial incarceration, while the latter was built to house illegal immigrants awaiting repatriation.
As is the rule under these circumstances, government operations in general continue to be funded based on last year’s budget. However, approval of the 2015 version by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT is required when it comes to capital investments.
That won’t occur until Finance Minister Martin Hassink is able to bridge the gap between the projected earnings and what is thought to be realistic. He also must make a settlement considered acceptable for the huge debts to Social and Health Insurance SZV and general pension fund APS, which in turn is a condition to defer the covering of former deficits for two years.
The latest word on the matter was that CFT had advised the Kingdom Council of Ministers to issue a targeted instruction for St. Maarten in this regard. What exactly that would contain remains to be seen, but it is likely to be felt by the community at large.
If still possible, every effort should be made to solve the current financial dilemma locally rather than having the shots called in The Hague. Somewhat ironically, that’s exactly where most criticism regarding the inadequate detention facilities has been coming from.
