Dear Editor,
Last week I read about the deadline to pay motor vehicle tax in Statia, which urges me to comment on what I am seeing happening here on Sint Maarten. I know for a fact that drivers have been ticketed for not paying their motor vehicle tax by the deadline and their motor vehicles were impounded. More and more I am seeing motor vehicles on the road with green number plates (2016), and even taking up much-needed space in the parking lots.
I also see a whole lot more motor vehicles with old French number plates, which tells me that the motor vehicle tax for those vehicles is also not paid. The French number plates always remain with the original motor vehicle and never change cars. So when these motor vehicles are dumped or crushed, the numbers are dumped or crushed with them. People who know this take those plates off those condemned cars and use them illegally, especially on the French side, because it is said that the Gendarmes do not control motor vehicle tax.
I wrote about this in the past because this has been going on for a few years now. I was told that because of the French system the Dutch side could not get the necessary information to be able to follow up, which I know is not true. That is why the question, who is taking whom for a ride? So I dare say on behalf of the thousands of us who stood for hours in the line at the Receiver’s Office to make sure that our motor vehicle tax was paid on time, I hope that both the police and the Gendarmes, who, we read have signed an accord for joint controls and border crossings, would charge those drivers who are driving around with illegal plates and unpaid motor vehicle tax just as was done to other drivers.
Oftentimes this type of vehicle is used while committing crimes. I know that the ministers of Finance and Justice know about this, because I was assured that this topic was discussed in the past.
I will always reiterate about pensioners paying taxes, whereas a lot more younger persons are getting away from contributing to the coffers of government. At least make everyone who is using his or her vehicle on the road pay the taxes.
In trying to analyse why there is increasingly more weird behaviour, I have come to the conclusion that there is too large a gap between government and the people. This was repeated on Sunday by a high-ranking American politician, who added that this is not only the case in England, where these last days were a disaster, but all over the world. Governments are increasingly disregarding the people. Governments have to accept that they were elected to serve the people and not themselves.
Russell A. Simmons
