PHILIPSBURG--Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo has sent a letter to Parliament Chairwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams about the “abrupt suspension” of the plenary session of Parliament dealing with the draft 2016 budget on March 10.
Marlin-Romeo questioned in her letter whether Wescot-Williams gave any other MP the opportunities to support her proposed amendments to the draft budget.
After listening to the recording of the meeting, Marlin-Romeo said it is clear that Wescot-Williams suspended the meeting before allowing any other MP to support her proposed amendments.
One of Marlin-Romeo’s amendments called for NAf. 150,000 to be allocated for execution of the neo-natal screening due to the lack of funds. This screening allows doctors to detect health conditions and possibly treat them at an early stage.
She wants NAf. 250,000 found for the Outbreak Prevention programme, an additional NAf. 30,000 for the Labour Department to cover additional burial costs, 81,000 guilders for the purchase of life insurance and disability insurance for Police, and NAf. 275,000 for the Voluntary Corps St. Maarten VKS.
The proposed amendments are “budget neutral,” because they are merely a shifting or reallocating of the allotted funds from one budget post to another, she said.
Marlin-Romeo also proposed the creation of an educational trust fund for the children of service men and women who die in the line of duty, and for steps be taken to lower the cost for seniors with fixed reductions in water, light, cable, medication and foods.
However in her letter, she formally requested a retraction of the amendments for further additions. She gave as reasons the motion was tabled for the reintroduction of mandatory military service, which she supports, and the urgent issues surrounding the production of the identification cards and driver’s licences by the Civil Registry department.
Marlin-Romeo said she also wanted to bring to the public’s attention that contrary to public “perception” that she is not is intentionally delaying the budget handling “for personal reasons.
“The fact remains that at present in Parliament there is a seven/seven split of members, and the attention is being shifted to take the emphasis off the reality of the situation,” she said.
