Attorney Jairo Bloem is seen heading into the courthouse in Philipsburg in this file photo.
~Distances itself from reported appointment~
PHILIPSBURG--The Central Bank of Curaçao and St Maarten (CBCS) says the procedure to arrive at recommendations for the position of chairperson of its Supervisory Board is still ongoing within the Board.
The Central Bank said also that it has not been involved in any decision-making of the kind reported in St. Maarten this week on the matter.
The Daily Herald reached out to the CBCS for a comment on the matter on Wednesday following statements by National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Ardwell Irion who said government’s reported appointment of attorney Jairo Bloem’s as Chairman of the CBCS Supervisory Board is “illegal,” arguing that it violates the Central Bank Statute and undermines one of the country’s most vital institutions.
The Daily Herald asked CBCS to shed some light on this issue and asked whether CBCS’ Supervisory Board itself initiated a nomination for Chairman in accordance with Article 25 of its statute and if so, when, and who was nominated. CBCS was also asked whether the Board had been informed or consulted before the reports that the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten had approved this appointment; what mechanisms CBCS has to safeguard against political interference and how CBCS vets nominees for potential conflicts of interest, particularly with ongoing cases such as Ennia, amongst others.
In its response CBCS said “at this moment, we are unable to provide substantive comments on the questions raised. We can confirm however, that the Supervisory Board of the CBCS has taken note of the recent media reports in Sint Maarten. The Supervisory Board of the CBCS has not been involved in any decision-making of the kind described in those reports,” CBCS told this newspaper.
CBCS also made it clear that the process of recommending a candidate for the post is still ongoing. “The procedure to arrive, within the framework of the applicable laws and regulations, at recommendations for the position of chairperson, based on which an appointment can subsequently be made by the Countries, is still ongoing within the Supervisory Board.”
In his criticism on the matter on Wednesday, MP Irion pointed to Article 25 of the Statute, which he said leaves no room for shortcuts. Irion said according to the law, the nomination of a Chairman must come directly from the Supervisory Board itself, and only if at least five-sixths of its members agree. Appointment or dismissal can then only be executed jointly by the countries through a landsbesluit, based on a joint proposal of the Ministers.
“The Council of Ministers of St. Maarten cannot unilaterally nominate or appoint a Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Any attempt to do so is outside of the law, undermines the statutory framework of the Central Bank, and directly interferes with the division of powers between the two Countries, which is the cornerstone of the joint institution,” Irion stated.
He described the move as part of a broader pattern of governance failures by the current coalition, citing earlier controversies such as subsidies for the Soul Beach event, the granting of tax holidays despite negative expert advice, and unauthorized payments to entities without the required national decrees.
“While top local professionals who were nominated more than a year ago are still waiting for their national decrees to be finalized, the government has attempted to skip over them and rush through an illegal appointment of the Chairman. This not only disrespects qualified professionals but also places the credibility of one of our most vital institutions at risk,” Irion said.
The MP said CBCS is the cornerstone of financial stability, monetary policy, and public trust, and that its independence must be protected from political influence. “By ignoring these procedures, the Council of Ministers risks weakening public confidence in our financial institutions, creating legal uncertainty, and damaging St. Maarten’s credibility both locally and internationally,” he added.
To address the matter, Irion has submitted a request for a Question Hour with Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs, seeking clarity on whether the proper procedures were followed, why nominated board members have not yet received their landsbesluiten, and what steps government is taking to safeguard the credibility and independence of the Central Bank. He called for the Question Hour to be scheduled without delay.
