POND ISLAND--Numerous aspects of the country’s apparatus are affected by the stalling of the draft 2019 budget in Parliament. Among these are the planning and budget preparations ahead of the 2020 population census to be conducted by the Department of Statistics STAT.
Economic Affairs Minister Stuart Johnson said in the Council of Ministers press briefing that delay with the budget also has other far-reaching implications for STAT.
As a pre-census activity, STAT in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA is preparing to launch a Household Listing Survey next month. In this survey, all housing units will be mapped and a short questionnaire has to be filled out by households.
To support the digital data-collection of both activities, STAT has chosen the Esri ArcGis software suite. A four-year licences programme is offered specifically to countries that will implement their censuses in the 2020-2022 period.
“A delay in the 2019 budget, will affect STAT’s ability to access funds from the capital budget in order to pay for the first year instalment for the software licences. These licences are necessary for the project start in three weeks’ time,” said Johnson.
STAT also needs funding from its research budget to pay for a new hire – a fieldwork project manager. This vacant post will be filled via a three-year third-party contract, directly from STAT’s operational budget. This position is “urgently needed” to support the 2019 surveys within the department.
All other research activities planned on its 2019 work-programme are contingent on available financial resources to fund especially the data-collection phases.
The Economic Inspection Department’s job is also thwarted by the pending budget. A six-month customer service training and report writing course to be administered by University of St. Martin, a priority for institutional strengthening and capacity building, is affected, according to Johnson.
The approval and commencement of the writing of key legislation for the ministry to improve and enhance enforcement are also hampered by the budget impasse. In need of updating are the Vehicle Inspection Ordinance, ordinance to regulate passenger transport motor vehicles, and Ordinance to regulate passenger transport permit holders. A new ordinance to regulate driving schools and driving instructors has to be written.
Johnson said, “Given that these ordinances are between 30 to 50 years old, they no longer adequately address the realities faced in St. Maarten. It is imperative to start drafting new legislation, as the existing legislation does not provide enough tools to address the criminality, advancements in automotive technology, societal and environmental concerns in transportation.”
Government is so far unable to hire a quartermaster for the long-talked-about Gaming Control Board due to no available funds for new hires.
No approved budget means delays in the community tourism awareness programme and codes of conduct for the beaches to ensure beaches are kept clean. Cooperative marketing campaigns with stakeholders such as Expedia.com and airlines are delayed. Services of the representation firms in the United States and Benelux are in danger, so very little activity is being executed, also due to delay of payments, said Johnson.
Due to no budget, government is also unable to support or has to delay decision-making on the Revitalization of Philipsburg plans (scheduled for July), KoopAvond, Jazz on Boardwalk, Qualichi Best Weekend and other plans that aim to increase activities in the slower summer months.
Also delayed is the signing of an Air Transport Agreement between St. Maarten and Brazil that was slated for the beginning of July simultaneously with a meeting COPA Airlines. The meeting with COPA was already delayed three times, which does not bode well for our reputation as a critical partner, said Johnson.
