the informer - St. Eustatius Government

Transcription

the informer - St. Eustatius Government
THE INFORMER
INFORMATION BULLETIN OF THE ISLAND GOVERNMENT OF ST. EUSTATIUS
Volume 1, Issue 10/11
October– November ISSUE , 2010
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR A STUDY GRANT ON ST.EUSTATIUS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL
St. Eustatius– On Thursday,
November 18th 2010 a town
hall meeting was held on the
study financing or grants. This
town hall meeting is a follow up
to the session which was held
on education on October 28th
2010 at the Ernest van Putten
Youth Center also known as the
Lions Den. It is important that
parents are knowledgeable of
the facts of the study grants.
There are two scenarios that
parents need to take into consideration. There is a process
for study financing for the
Dutch Caribbean started since
August 1st 2011 and we also
need to keep in mind that there
is also the Study financing in
the Netherlands. Students in
the Dutch Caribbean have options where they may further
their studies. These students
can remain in the Caribbean or
go to the United States to further their studies. It is significant that students apply for
study financing before or during
the study year. Preferably submission of request as soon as
possible. If you have a youngster in St. Eustatius going to
study abroad, he/she has to
comply to a number of conditions:
Inside this issue:
Study financing
1
Deputy Governors Sworn in
2
•
she/he has to fill out a form
•
on this form he/she needs to
write their name, date of birth
and address
•
ID number is also required
•
along with ones bank account
number
Health Care Package Ready
•
and proof of ones registration for
the university/school.
The role of Ombudsman
More info regarding this topic
can
be
acquired
at
Monique.hoogewers@rijksdienstCN.com or
at the office of RCN on the
Mazinga square.
Job Opportunities
3,14,31
5,6
8,30
Thesis for Doctorate Study
Int. Business
11,13
Notices
13, 32
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DEPUTY ISLAND GOVERNORS SWORN IN ON STATIA AND SABA
On November 17th 2010, Mr.
Louis Marris Brown was sworn in
as Deputy Island Governor of St.
Eustatius. The ceremony was conducted by Deputy Kingdom Representative Mr. Hans Gerritsen. The
ceremonies took place at the Government Administration Building,
in the presence of Island Governor
Honourable Gerald Berkel.
On Saba Mr. Roy Smith was
sworn is as Deputy Island Governor in the presence of the Island
Governor of Saba, the honourable
Mr. Johnson. The short ceremonies was carried out by the Kingdom representative Mr. Hans Gerritsen.
St. Eustatius– On November 23rd
2010 Mr. Joost Vrieler, grants officer
a representative of Kultura visited
the island from the Netherlands to
enlighten the different organizations
about programme and how they need
to submit applications. He also informed the NGO’s about Kultura
and what they need to know prior to
submitting a project. The information is available on page
15 and 17 in this newsletter.
He can be reached by email on
j.vrieler@mondriaanfoundatio
n . n l
o r
o n
joost.vrieler@gmail.com.
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PAGE 3
VACATURE
Medewerker Personeel & Organisatie M/V
De werkzaamheden worden uitgevoerd binnen het Bureau Personeel & Organisatie. Het Bureau richt zich op het
geven van inhoud aan het personeelsbeleid en organisatie en voert dit tevens uit. De doelstelling van het Bureao P&O
is het bijdragen aan en het instandhouden en verbeteren van het functioneren van de ambtelijke organisatie als
geheel en de uitvoering van medebewindstaken terzake. P&O ondersteunt tevens de bestuursorganen van St.
Eustatius en adviseert hen op het gebied van personeelsbeleid, personeelsbeheer en organisatie taken.
Functie-inhoud o.a:
Draagt bij aan het uitvoeren van het personeelsbeleid door o.a.
het deelnemen aan selectiegesprekken;
het adviseren van het hoofd P&O over sollicitaties, oveplaatsingen en bevorderingen, alsmede over het
personeelsbeleid;
het verschaffen van informatie en adviezen aan personeel over rechtspositionele aangelegenheden en het
voeren van de bijhorende correspondentie.
•
Verricht beleidsadvisering;
Beheert de personeelsadministratie door o.a.:
het verwerken van mutaties;
het bijhouden van de staat van personeelsopbouw en personeelsverloop en het opstellen van rapporten
hieromtrent;
het registreren en verwerken van personeelsgegevens en hieruit bedrijfsinformatie genereren.
Functie-eisen:
•
Afgeronde Opleiding op MBO-niveau richting HRM of gelijkwaardig;
•
Kennis van ontwikkelingen op personeelsgebied en daarop van toepassing zijnde wet- en regelgeving bij
overheidsorganisaties;
•
Kennis van theorieen, technieken en methoden inzake personeelsbeleid;
•
Discreet en kunnen omgaan met vertouwelijke informatie;
•
Professionele instelling;
•
Bereid om eventuele training te volgen;
•
Goede beheersing van de Nederlandse en Engelse taal, zowel in woord en geschrift;
•
Vaardigheid in het hanteren van gespreks- en interviewtechnieken;
•
Inzicht in wetten, regels en eisen inzake personeelsaangelegenheden;
•
Inzicht in het (mondeling en schriftelijk) adviseren over personele en rechtspositionele aangelegenheden;
•
Goede organisatorische, communicatieve (verbaal & schriftelijk) en contactuele vaardigheden;
•
Een verantwoordelijke, kritische, accurate, creatieve en klantgerichte instelling;
Zowel zelfstandig als in teamverband kunnen werken.
(Continue on page 14)
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PAGE 4
PRESS RELEASE TAX SYSTEM
November 29th, 2010
Tax Authority: the tax system is simple
On November 22nd (Sint-Eustatius) and November 23rd (Saba) the ‘Belastingdienst Caribisch
Nederland’ (BCN) – Tax Authority of the Caribbean Netherlands - organized information sessions on the introduction of the tax system for Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius and Saba as of January 1,
2011. The sessions were held after intensive preparation with the business associations STEBA
and SBA and the members of the Executive Councils of Saba and Sint-Eustatius.
Both information sessions were opened by one of the Commissioners of the respective island.
During his presentation, BCN Director, Hans Visser, expressed his understanding of the concerns of the residents and entrepreneurs on the islands: simultaneous introduction of various
legislations and regulations, short preparation time and fear of the unknown.
The policy of the Tax Authority is to intensify the information, be creative and flexible with the
implementation of the legislation and not leave existing questions unanswered. The simplicity of
the system was the focal point of the presentation of team leader Gerard Meijer. “For most of
you the system is not difficult or complicated but simple”; according to Meijer. Subsequently the
fiscal situation of the private individual, the sole proprietorship and the NV without personnel and
the companies with personnel was discussed. The core points of the income tax, property tax,
revenue tax, sales tax and wage taxes were discussed.
Furthermore, Visser discussed the simplification in the implementation of the tax legislation. For
the income tax he introduced the simplified tax return form for the fiscal year 2010.
Continued on page 9
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PAGE 5
HEALTH CARE INSURANCE READY
Press release
November 28, 2010
Healthcare Insurance Package is ready
Kralendijk – Recently the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports took the final decision on the content of the healthcare insurance package that will be introduced on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius as of January 1st.
Starting January 1st, 2011, individuals legally residing and/or working on one of the three islands
of the Caribbean Netherlands, will automatically be covered under the general healthcare insurance. This means that as of this date all other healthcare insurances such as SVB, BZV, PP and
private insurances will automatically expire to the extent that they cover the same as the general
healthcare insurance. Residents of the islands need not do anything to receive medical care in
January; each person must only have a valid ID-card or sédula.
During the theme weeks that were recently organized by the ‘Rijkdienst Caribisch Nederland’ (RCN), information was already provided about the general healthcare insurance that will enter into force by January 2011, however at that time the content of the package was not fully ready.
Now the package is ready and that means that the RCN Healthcare Insurance Office will start and
intensive information campaign in order to inform all residents of the three islands and the institutions offering medical care and treatment about the content of the package.
Healthcare insurance concerns us all. It is therefore of the utmost importance that each person be
well informed about his/her coverage rights when it comes to medical care. The information campaign that carries the name “I am also insured” will not only emphasize the content of the package
but also what a citizen must do in order to receive medical care. It has already been mentioned
that to receive medical care a person must only show his/her ID-card or sédula. During the information campaign this procedure will be further elaborated on and also how minors (who do not
have a sédula) receive medical care. (continue on page 6)
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PAGE 6
PRESS RELEASE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE READY
(Continued from page 5)
With regard to the insurance package, this includes among others general practitioner care, specialist medical care, hospital care, paramedical care, dental care, pharmaceutical care, aid devices care, obstetric care, patient transportation, repatriation costs of the deceased, assistance audiological center, assistance genetic counseling, dialysis, chronic respiratory
problems, rehabilitation care, laboratory and radiological treatment, long-term care and medical missions for treatment
abroad.
At the latest by December 13th an information booklet will be available with all details on the content of the healtcare insurance package. This date was set because the RCN is in the process of translating this document in Papiamentu and English and must take the complicated terminology into account. However, individuals who wish to receive information on the
content of the healthcare insurance prior to the booklet being available can visit our website at www.RijksdienstCN.com on
which the document will be posted. The RCN may also be called at 08008-101010 or e-mailed at info@RijksdienstCN.com
and we will send you the document in soft copy. A hard copy of the document is also available at the RCN counter. Please
take into account that during the next two weeks the document is available only in Dutch until the booklet is ready.
Information will also be provided to the community through the media, such as newspapers, radio and television.
Individuals may of course approach the healthcare insurance and they can also receive more information through the free
RCN information line at 08008-101010.
Als er vragen zijn betreffende dit persbericht, graag contact opnemen met de RCN Communicatie afdeling, Friso
Fennema (795-9034), Alida Francis 318-4989 of met Lucia Beck (795-9050).
V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
On Monday, December 6th 2010,
the local Team leader, Mrs. Astrid
Mc.Kenzie Tatem accompanied by
the Quarter maker of taxes, Mr
Hans Visser and the Honourable
Island Governor Mr. Gerald Berkel
did the honors at the harbour entrance where the customs office is
officially located. Attending this
ceremony at 11 am were Island
Council Members: Ms. Adelca
Spanner, Mr. Julian Woodley and
Mr. Clyde van Putten.
T HE I NF OR MER
It continued in the afternoon December 6th 2010, at 3 pm at the premises
of the Tax building, when the island
proudly celebrated the official opening
of it’s doors for the new Dutch Caribbean Tax office. One year ago on June
1st 2009 the island celebrated the
opening of the Tax Information Center, where the community could enter
and acquire relevant information. The
programme for the opening was well
put together by the staff of the tax
center. They had per-
PAGE 7
formances by the group pretty colours, Gifted Hands, and the Aloi
dancers. The invocation was carried
out by Pastor Plunkette prior to the
entrance of the building. Special
thanks for realizing this project goes
to: Astrid Mc. Kenzie and staff, Mr.
Hans Visser, The architect, Mr. Siem
Dijkshoorn; The contractor Mr. Elroy
and crew, Staff of the Project Group
in Bonaire,Mr. Ettiene Schoenmakers and collegue of the Rijksgebouwendienst, the landlord, Mr. Eric
Henriquez .
V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
Continue on page 30
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PAGE 8
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PAGE 9
PRESS RELEASE TAX SYSTEM (continued from page 4)
Furthermore, Visser discussed the simplification in the implementation of the tax legislation. For
the income tax he introduced the simplified tax return form for the fiscal year 2010.
In 2011 entrepreneurs will file tax returns for the income and sales tax on a quarterly basis
(instead of a monthly basis). Saba and Sint-Eustatius will be involved in the addressing of the
valuation for the property tax.
Concerns about the employer’s premium (18.4%) to be paid by the employers and the possible
cumulation with the sales tax have been communicated via letter by the Executive Councils of
Saba and Sint-Eustatius to the Minister of Finance. The business associations have also emphatically brought these points to the attention of the Tax Authority.
Additionally the STEBA calls for attention to the 30,4% tax for individuals of 60 years of age or
older, the disparity between companies with and without real estate and the difference in impact
between Saba and Sint-Eustatius on the one hand and Bonaire on the other hand.
Expansion of property tax exemption (dormant property) has been proposed to the Lower House
through a memorandum of amendments. The staff members of the tax authority offices will be
equipped to answer the existing questions.
As of the 2nd week of December, a brochure of all mentioned taxes will be available at the tax authority offices.
You may request a soft copy of the presentation via e-mail address:
informationcenter@taxes-windward.com
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TOWN HALL MEETING ON HEALTHCARE
Transferring the property and QBMC building a condition for the million guilders from the Dutch Government
St. Eustatius– On Wednesday, December 1st 2010, the Island Government and the St. Eustatius Health
Care Foundation held a town hall
meeting to enlighten the general public of the process and what the present status is. The island Government
was represented by Mr. Julian Woodley as commissioner for Health Care
in the panel, while Mrs. Annemarie
van Summeren, Dr. Paul Schats and
Mr. Koos Sneek represented the St.
Eustatius Health Care Foundation.
Mr. Koos Sneek held a presentation
about the privatization of the Queen
Beatrix Medical Center. He said the
issue of privatization was a point of
discussion since 2005 when a letter of
intent was signed with the stakeholders, the Island Government of St.
Eustatius, the Queen Beatrix Medical Center, the Auxiliary Home and
the Unions. Back then the vision was
also to privatize healthcare and at the
same time to merge the Queen
Beatrix Medical Center with the Auxiliary Home.
WHY
PRIVATIZATION?
Mr. Sneek explained detailed the significance of privatization. He said it is
generally known that healthcare is
the biggest expenditure on the island
governments budget. Many people are
referred abroad for medical attention
which eats up most of the budget.
Mr. Sneek explained that the privatization will reduce the financial burden for government; it will create a
more professional and efficient
healthcare sector and it will improve
the quality of healthcare for the community of Statia.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
Koos highlighted that this constitutional status, of Public Entity along
with the privatization of the hospital
was agreed upon by the island government. Other important components within this constitutional reforms are: the introduction of the general healthcare insurance and the
requirement for Holland (VWS) ministry of Healthcare taking over the
responsibility of healthcare on St.
Eustatius.
MULTI-ANNUAL HEALTHCARE
DEVELOPMENT PLAN (8 YEARS)
In the power point presentation Koos
elaborated on this approved plan by
the island government in 2008. In
said plan an amount of 12 million
was allocated by the government for
investment on the island. Included
were the combine care and cure,
which means the merger of the
QBMC and the Auxiliary home. The
plan also touched on the upgrading
of the health care in the broadest
sense of the word. More and better is
needed and the necessity to go off
island should decrease with the visiting specialist. There is also the big
discussion whether the hospital
should be renovated or build a new
hospital.
ESTABLISHMENT ST. EUSTAT I U S
H E A L T H C A R E
FOUNDATION The general public
learned more details about the establishment of the healthcare foundation since march 2010. The
Board of Directors comprise of:
•
Dr. Paul Schats (chairman) and
•
Mrs. Annemarie van Summeren
(interim until August 2011)
The Supervisory Board comprise
of:
•
Mr. Nicolaas Sneek (chairman)
•
Ms. Minerva Panthophlet (vicechairman)
•
Mrs. Clara Carty
•
Mr Ellis Woodley
•
Mr. Dean Zagers (since Dec 1 2010)
WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBLITIES
OF ST. EUSTATIUS HEALTHCARE
FOUNDATION They will be fully responsible for the Queen Beatrix Medical
center, the Center for Youth and Family. The drugs rehabilitation care and
the merger of the Auxiliary Home with
QBMC which is a complicated issue
since the Auxiliary Home is already a
private foundation and the QBMC is a
government department. As Mr. Sneek
so well put it. There are the necessary
concerns about the merger because the
Auxiliary home is a well operated organization while the fear exist of merging with a government department with
it’s hurdles.
PRIVATIZATION PROCESS QBMC
It is important for the general public to
know that the St. Eustatius Health
Care Foundation is already working.
They have a mandate for the management of the hospital since October 15th
2010.
(Continue on page 16)
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THESIS FOR DOCTURATE STUDIES IN THE AREA OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS & FINANCE
Mr. Riegnald Arrindell Garveyite
On Official Dollarization and Country St.Maarten Dear Editor I chose to write my final research paper on the possible pros, cons and consequences of Official dollarization for St.Maarten. The aim was to learn whether in fact the dropping the Antillean guilder for the US dollar would serve our interests as a people especially in light in our new constitutional status. This analysis will draw upon the experiences, both past and present, of dollarized countries to further show that “benefits” of dollarization are not consistent with facts or reality. My primary research has convinced me that Official Dollarization would not be a viable option to St.Maarten for the following reasons: Firstly, the Antillean guilder has re‐
mained stable over the last 30 years. Unlike most countries, the Antillean economy never had a history of high inflation, massive debt, and severe macro‐economic or political instability or witnessed investor confidence crumble over an extended period. Secondly, both the IMF and Director of the Dutch Central bank, Drs H. Brouwer commended the Antillean Central Bank for its poli‐
cies, knowledgeable staff, “prudent lending practices” and maintaining a credible peg to the US dollar for over 30 years. “The longstanding peg to the U.S. dollar has served the economy well. It has delivered low inflation and imposed some discipline on economic
policies. Its credibility has kept interest rate differentials with the U.S. narrow, even though expansionary fiscal policies have frequently run counter to the requirements of a fixed exchange rate regime”. To some, it makes no sense to either have a joint Central Bank and currency, with Curacao, since it would be the same (i.e. being pegged at the same rate to the US dollar) as the Antillean guilder. Sharing a common central bank and currency with Curacao allows St.Maarten to benefit from knowledgeable and experi‐
enced staff, less costs and, strong currency and good track record. Additionally, most countries around the world are currently shar‐
ing a common Central Bank and currency i.e. the Caribbean, Europe, America. I do understand that some might be hesitant to con‐
tinue our relations with Curacao due to sharp political differences however we must not allow this to cloud or confuse our judgment concerning such an important matter. Not only will we be able to exercise more influence over our own affairs but would not be‐
come as dependent if official dollarization was chosen. Thirdly, despite being dollarized the Turks and Caicos Islands experienced a banking crisis where clients were unable to redeem some of their savings. Civil servants were forced to take a 10% cut in their salaries. Also, the article “The Turks and Caicos economy in meltdown” (See the Caribbean Centre for Finance and Money, July 2010) revealed that regardless of being officially dollarized the islands couldn’t not escape the impact of the global financial crisis. “This is one of the major downsides of using the currency of an‐
other nation or being dollarized” i.e. the limited options of the Turks and Caicos government to: increase revenues; address eco‐
nomic crisis and no financial reserves to call upon. The US dollar did not prevent the Turks and Caicos Islands from corruption, the global financial meltdown or maintaining optimal investor relations. This was evident during the suspension of local government and direct rule from Britain further showing that: official dollarization cannot overshadow the role of implementing effective policies and good governance; as a colony, the Turks and Caicos economy was further crippled by the UK’s decision to withhold development funds from the island. In September 2010, the visiting British MP Mr. Andrew Rosindell “vowed to beseech London for help lifting the islands out of the economic quagmire”1 (“TCI needs help”, September 9th 2010) Fourthly, The cases of Panama and Ecuador are used as ready examples as to the success of dollarization. Panama although being dollarized since 1904 approached the IMF and World Bank a total of 13 times to get financial assistance. Despite the “success” being made the economy still suffers from institutional weaknesses; the judicial system is still influenced by political tribalism; and income distribution “remains lopsided”. Ecuador saw investors withhold public finances as a result of its president’s, Raphel Correa, unwill‐
ingness to pay its sovereign debt and his socialist/ nationalist political ideology. Despite being dollarized, Ecuador’s credit rating slipped to all time lows. Investor’s uneasiness, stemming from government intervention, resulted in reduced long term investments in the economy. Fifthly, it is difficult to suggest that dollarization will usher in any unique benefits to the island which: it doesn’t already experience or cannot be introduced through creative and effective policies. I submit to the supporters of dollarization to consider that if the American dollar was such a “viable option” it did a rather poor job of preventing the global economic meltdown; reducing its widen‐
ing trade deficit. Interestingly, china and the UN are hinting replacing the US dollar as the world 1 Turks and Caicos weekly newspa‐
per. “TCI needs help” September 9th 2010 reserve currency. The dollar has not crashed because China holds a significant amount of America’s debt, global commodities and oil are priced in dollars and US spending on invading other countries. (Continue on page 13) ________________________________________________________ 1 Turks and Caicos weekly newspaper. “TCI needs help” September 9th 2010 V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
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HOW TO GET FUNDING THROUGH KULTURA
Find out if your project meets the criteria for kultura funding continue on page
PAGE 12
V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
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PAGE 13
Thesis on Dollarization by Riegnald Arrindell Garveyite
(Continued from page 13)
Sixth, dollarization will not improve investor’s confidence as some believe. Investors are primarily concerned with the state of public finances, economic growth forecasts, skilled, healthy and educated workforce, good governance and most of all obtaining a handsome return on their investment. Does currency play a role, perhaps but in our context it does not overshadow the fundamentals that are consid‐
ered to be essential in any investment analysis. Our island has an efficient business environment although there is room for improve‐
ment in a number of areas. In order to address these challenges it is imperative that both the government, private sector and the com‐
munity to develop ways to further improve the investment infrastructure on the island. Seventh, despite what some may seem to think, if St.Maarten officially dollarizes it will not be able to obtain or a miniscule of the Sei‐
norage with the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. If St.Maarten dollarizes it means that its interests will not be represented or con‐
sidered in Washington. So if individuals were complaining when St.Maarten was in the Antilles were we were at least represented heads will roll when we won’t have any say what so ever when decisions are being made in Washington. In his speech on “The developmental challenges of a small economy” (March 2008) Dr. Emsley Tromp, Director of the Central Bank pointed out that the island earns about NAF 1.2 billion in revenues derived from foreign exchange transactions. In 2008, income derived from the 1% license fee or tax that goes directly to the Central Bank approached NAF 100,000,000,‐ of which around 40% originates from St.Maarten. The is‐
land’s share of Seinorage, money the central government earns by printing notes and coins, to the tune of NAF 1,440,000 (2009) will be terminated. Keep in mind that when we become a country and maintain the guilder, such sources of revenue will remain “on our shores, in our coffers”. With such impressive figures “school breakfast programs can be implemented, grants for single parents, invest‐
ing in energy efficient technology, improve transportation infrastructure and efficient health care products and services especially for children and senior citizens”. These figures are mentioned to give the reader a summary of the monetary costs associated with dollarization. Dollarization DOES NOT guarantee the island will be able to regain this amount. Read the literature on dollarization, they never offer any definite an‐
swers, choosing instead words like Dollarization “would…should…… may; hardly reading a sentence that says Official Dollarization “WILL”. A review of the financial statements of the Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles show in no uncertain terms that the de‐
mand for bank accounts denominated in guilders outpaced that of other currencies indicating that investors and depositors are confi‐
dent in our currency as a safe haven especially during the global economic meltdown. In closing, by accepting the US dollar as our “own” currency confirms our inability as an autonomous country to exert and protect our sovereignty and hinder the pursuit of affir‐
mation in this age of globalization. It is interesting to observe how supporters of official dollarization have been unceasing in their pur‐
suit to manufacture the consent of the masses. Based on the articles and opinions from the “pro‐dollarization” camp it is evident that sustaining such a position without encountering logical problems is somewhat challenging. If one analyses the facts and place them within our own social, economic reality and politi‐
cal aspirations, the honest researcher will conclude that some persons find theories more precious that facts. In the final analysis if the US dollar was so great why aren’t more countries dropping their national currencies and dollarizing? Dollarization is declining in Latin American countries their economies. To imply that dollarization is a “viable” option for St.Maarten ignores common sense. I urge my people to resist the temptation of simplifying the issue of official dollarization and examine this subject with a determined eye and great care. I urge my people not to suspend their reasoning powers for short term pleasures and convenience but instead balance their critical thinking skills with research. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— NOTICE
The Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland
(RCN) and the Island Government is
hosting a Follow up Town Hall Meeting on Dollarization
Date :Thursday, December 16th 2010
Location: Lions Den/Ernest van Putten
Youth Center
Time: 7 pm—9 pm
NOTICE
The Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland
(RCN) is hosting a Live talk show
about the Health Care Package on
December 16th 2010
This call- in programme will be aired
live in the morning hours.
The general public will get the opportunity to call in and pose questions
V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
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PAGE 14
JOB OPPORTUNTIES
(Continued from page 3)
Aangeboden wordt:
Inschaling conform het Bezoldigingsbesluit 1998 BES.
Salaris is afhankelijk van het aantal jaren werkervaring vermeerderd met bovenwindse toelage 16.3%, eventuele
kindertoelage, pensioenregeling, medische verzekering en vakantieuitkering.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Beveiligingsmedewerker Haven
Functie-inhoud:
De werkzaamheden worden uitgevoerd binnen de Dienst Zeehaven. De Dienst Zeehaven richt zich op het zo
effectief, efficient, ordelijk en veilig mogelijk laten verlopen van het afhandleingsproces van passagiers, schepen,
vracht en post.
De beveiligingsmedewerker is belast met de bewaking en beveiliging van de Dienst Zeehaven en het beschermen van
aangewezen personen en goederen. De Dienst Zeehaven bestaat uit een Hoofd zeehaven, een assistent Haven
Meester, een Financieel Administratief medewerker, een Administratief medewerker, de Beveiligingsmedewerkers en
Havenmedewerkers.
Taken:
Bewaakt de Dienst Zeehaven door:
Het erop toezien dat er geen goederen van eigendommen, boten/vessels, kantoor en lading op het terrein
worden ontvreemd;
Het bewaken van passagiers, boten en ladingen op het Zeehaven;
Het bedacht zijn op verdachte personen en het eventueel bewaken van personen totdat de
douanerecherche/politie arriveert;
Het treffen van maatregelen zoals bijv het aanhouden van schepen;
Het maken van rapportage ( bij incidenten, dagelijks, maandelijks etc.);
Verricht veiligheidswerkzaamheden door:
Het controleren van vervoer ( auto’s, trailers, etc.) en lading die het terrein in – en uitgaan;
Het controleren van passagiers en hun bagage;
Het controleren van documenten van boten, bemanning en “cargo” die de Zeehaven binnenkomen of
uitvaren;
Het inspecteren van de navifatie- en kadeverlichting alsook de hygienische toestand rondom de
havengebouwen, het terrein en op de kade;
Het bijhouden van de registratie van boten/schepen , voertuigen en lading;
Functie-eisen:
Minimaal LBO denk/werkniveau en ervaring; (Continue on page 31)
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Continued from page 2
HOW TO GET FUNDING THROUGH KULTURA
Continue on page 17
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Continue from page 10 TOWN HALL MEETING ON HEALTH CARE
They held several meetings with the
staff of QBMC already and the social
Statute is already established, however in the future when the staff go
over to the foundation they will loose
their civil servant status and a collective labor agreement will be needed.
The job ranking programme has already been worked out, it is confirmed that improvements for the
workers is essential. The big commotion in this entire process is the
transfer of the assets which comprises
of land and a building. The Dutch
ministry of healthcare (VWS) made 1
million available for 2010 which
seems to be linked to healthcare founment after a number of years would
write off buildings; Why not the QBMC
which is older than 50 years? What is
the issue in the Netherlands about making a decision to make this happen?
The process of privatization started
since 2005 and at the same time a policy
was in place indicating how many beds
and staff is required. Will this policy be
the point of departure?
St. Maarten will render service to
Saba and St. Eustatius for emergency evacuation. When someone
become ill and they need to be referred abroad, St. Maarten will be
the first island considered, whereas
more specific cases will be referred
to Guadeloupe. They are also seeking specialist to come to work in
Statia.
dation acquiring the property into
ownership. These funds are important to purchase new equipment for
the hospital.
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
The public was enlighten of the two
new ambulances which are already
operational on the island and the
training program for the personnel.
A helicopter service based in Country
There was a question and answer
segment after the presentation.
Some questions which were posed
were: Isn’t it better to build a new
hospital instead of restoration? The
hospital is in need of new and modern equipment and a professional
Information Technology.
Another participant made a statement along with a question.
“Knowing that the Dutch govern-
A senior politician shared at the townhall meeting the fact that the “ Queen
Betarix medical center was condemned
30 years ago. The Dutch Government
made funding available and a gentleman from Holland was in charge of the
funding for the establishment of the
new hospital which is now known as the
White Elephant. Individuals of the
Rijksgebouwen dienst came to Statia
and created this white elephant that up
to today is leaking and has never functioned as a hospital. His cry today is for
the youth, He says we need somebody to
stand up and represent us in The
Hague.” How would you handle the
overflow of an epidemic with the decrease in beds which you will establish
in the new hospital? Will the new health
care insurance merely be transferred
with the same people giving the same
poor service? The conclusion was
that everyone agreed that Statia
deserves a new Hospital and they
support the Health Care foundation
in accomplishing this goal.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
The Executive Council of the Island Territory Sint Eustatius hereby informs the general public that in
accordance with article 5 of the Physical Development Ordinance St. Eustatius of 1991, the
Draft Spatial Development Plan
for the Island Territory of St. Eustatius will be for public review as from December 2
for a period of 30 days.
Within this period of 30 days anyone can submit objections to the plan in writing to the Islands Council, Government Guesthouse, St. Eustatius
The Draft Spatial Development Plan can be reviewed at the Government Guesthouse, the Planning
Bureau and on the website www.ro-sinteustatius.nl.
The Executive Council of the Island Territory of Sint Eustatius
The Lt. Governor
The adj. Island Secretary
Mr. G. Berkel, BSc
Mrs. E. Bennett – Merkman
OPENBARE BEKENDMAKING
Het Bestuurscollege van het Eilandsgebied Sint Eustatius maakt hierbij bekend dat conform
artikel 5 van de Eilandverordening Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelingsplanning St. Eustatius (1991)
het
Ontwerp Ruimtelijk Ontwikkelingsplan
voor het Eilandgebied Sint Eustatius ter inzage wordt gelegd vanaf 2 december a.s.
voor de duur van 30 dagen.
In deze periode van 30 dagen kan eenieder schriftelijk bezwaren indienen bij de Eilandsraad,
Government Guesthouse, St. Eustatius
Het Ontwerp Ruimtelijk Ontwikkelingsplan kan ingezien worden op het
Government Guesthouse, het Planningbureau en op de website www.ro-sinteustatius.nl.
Het Bestuurscollege van het Eilandsgebied Sint Eustatius
De Gezaghebber
De adj. Eilandsecretaris
Mr. G. Berkel, BSc
Mrs. E. Bennett – Merkman
V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
ADJUSTMENT DEPARTURE TAX
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DUTCH NEWS
St. Eustatius— Since the formation of the Dutch Government,
many people in the Netherlands
acknowledged the importance of
cutting back. The government programme in the Netherlands already indicates the importance of
economizing for the future. A big
issue was, the cut back in the field
of art with an amount of 200 hundred million euros which brought
about much opposition. The Dutch
actors and musicians took to the
streets to strike and display their
disapproval with the cabinets
force cutback in the field of art.
The demonstrations of the artists
booked much success because the
Dutch Government will not cut
back the 200 hundred million
euros as was initially the case.
Other cutbacks in the Netherlands which brought about much
discussion was the cut in the budget
of defense. The cutbacks in this area
is considered to be under the norm of
the N.A.T.O. The amount decided to
cutback in Defense is from 8 billion
to 7 billion. They will need to priorities what is really important. On the
BVN (The Best of Vlaanderen and
The Netherlands) the Dutch Minister
of Defense, Mr. Hillen defended the
cutbacks. A journalist stated” that
the unions are of the opinion that
the balance on the budget after the
cutbacks is so little that it looks like
a third world armed military force”.
Minister of Defense Mr. Hillen said 7
billion is sufficient and the situation
is not so bad as everyone makes it
out to be.
Under this new Tolerant( gedoogd)
Cabinet, many changes apply in the
broadest sense of the word. Asylum
seekers are responsible for adjusting
and acclimatizing in the Netherlands. Persons who do not qualify
after the naturalization test, risk
loosing their temporary residency
permit. A general ban apply
against boerka’s, that is clothing
covering ones face entirely.
Other areas are education. If
weak schools are not able to bring
their school within a year up to
the educational process or level
they would go over to closure. It is
advised that parents are involved
in the educational process to ensure that children attend school
without omission. They also hope
that parents can influence good
behavior of their children and the
promotion of speaking Dutch at
school.
Source : BVN and VNG Magazine
STATIA DAY CELEBRATION 2010
St. Eustatius - Statia Day is an
annual
celebration which has
grown into a large event that people
from neighboring islands come over
to share with us in this cultural
week of activities. Although everyone had to cut back on their budgets
the organizers of the Festivity Committee acknowledged in the Shedding Light Radio Programme that
they would have liked to do many
more cultural exchanges but financial restrictions limited the possibilities. The public at large enjoyed
the week of activities which started
on November 10th 2010. If you are
residing abroad and could not be a
part of the celebrations, imagine the
main road (Fort Oranjestraat )
decorated with Dutch and Statia
Flags. The location of the week of
activities is at the corner of
Breedeweg down to the lower half of
Fort Oranjestraat. The first night
started off with a Gospel session.
Gospel groups from St. Maarten and
Anguilla participated in this programme. Statians were happy and
proud to see their own artist residing
in the Netherlands take part in the
event on November 11th 2010. The
show featured the man Stroll, Victor
Sams and Magumbo. On November
12th 2010 a band from St. Maarten
performed with Ruffy. While on November 13th Morgan Gramps from Jamaica rocked the night. The Mega D
Foundation held a wonderful show for
and with the Youth of Statia in mindThe entire week was filled with cultural exchanges. As an island in the
Caribbean we do our best to bring
about a Caribbean mixture which
would be pleasing to the entire island.
On November 16th 2010 which is the
day of celebration was well attended by
the public at Fort Oranje. The uniform
groups of the different principles were
in attendance while we were great full
to have the drum bands from the
Neighboring islands. The Saba
drum band along with that of Anguilla made the parade even more
elaborate. (see photos of the celebration on page 21– 29.)
Special attention was given this
year to a number of cultural acts
like plaiting the pole by the Aloi
dancers and a script by Misha & Co
highlighting the First Salute. This
performance took the public right
back to 1776. They did their at
most with their costumes to bring
about that idea. Youngsters under
the guidance of the musical
Teacher Mr. Dennis Amajan accompanied by Ms. Vashti Hooker prepared the children for their Grand
performance on Statia day. The
Island Government acknowledged a
number of people in the community
for their outstanding service,these
persons are: Roland Lopes, Elroy
Aventurin, Jerome Patrick and
Floyd Woodley.
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EYE RIGHT BY UNIFORM GROUPS TO ISLAND GOVERNOR & DIGNITARIES
PAGE 26
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V OLU ME 1 , I SSUE
The Role of the Ombudsman
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Continued from page 8
PAGE 30
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PAGE 31
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
(Continued from page 14)
•
Kennis van geldende voorschriften en procedure inzake bewaking en het vergezellen van containers/ladingen/
bagage;
•
Kennis van interne procedurele uitvoeringsvoorchriften, praktische bekendheid van de organisatorische en
functionele verhoudingen binnen de dienst en (in)zoverre relevant daarbuiten;
•
Vaardigheid in het uitvoeren van bewakingswerkzaamheden;
•
Vaardigheid in het communiceren met het publiek en toeristen voor het geven van instructies;
•
Vaardigheid in het signaleren van verdachte personen of onregelmatieheden en het treffen van juiste
voorzorgmaatregelen;
•
Bereidbaar om trainingen te volgen;
•
Vloeiend in de Nederlandse en Engelse taal, zowel schriftelijk en mondeling.
•
Kunnen omgaan met vertrouwelijk informatie;
Vaardigheid in het maken van rapportage.
Aangeboden wordt:
Inschaling conform de Lands Bezoldigingsregeling 1998.
Salaris Min Nafls 1439,- en Max Nafls 2369,- afhankelijk van het aantal jaren werkervaring vermeerderd met
bovenwindse toelage 16.3%, eventuele kindertoelage, pensioenregeling, medische verzekering en vakantieuitkering.
Schrifteliike reacties uitelijk 10 december 2010 te richten aan:
Het Bestuurscollege van het Eilandgebied St. Eustatius
T.a.v. Mevrouw F. Marlin, Hoofd Personeel & Organisatie
Government Guesthouse
St. Eustatius, Carisbisch Nederland
Tel: 318-2931
Fax: 318-3391
Email: personel.affairs@statiagov.com
Voor meer informatie kan contact opgenomen worden met de heer Austin van Heyningen, waarnemend
Havenmeester bij Dienst Zeehaven op telefoonnummer 318-2205
Het Bestuurscollege St. Eustatius,
De Gezaghebber,
De Adjunct Secretaris,
The Informer, is the St. Eustatius Government Information Bulletin
It is a monthly publication of the Island
Territory of St. Eustatius. The objective
is to inform residents of St. Eustatius
about the developments that are taking
place within Government and social
matters on the island.
Published by M.A. Lopes Chief Public
Relations for the Island Territory of St.
Eustatius Kennep Rd. z/n, Princes Garden, St. Eustatius, Neth. Ant.
Telephone:599-318-2745
Fax: 599-318-2084
Email: gis@statiagovernment.com
Malvern.gis@statiagovernment.com
Layout by D. Simmons
Queries should be directed to the Office
of the Lt. Governor, Mr. Gerald Berkel,
under which he has the responsibility
of Bureau Kabinet, St. Eustatius.
Tel: 318 –2552 Fax: 318-2324
SHEDDING LIGHT
Join us weekly on Wednesday morning, at 9 Am sharp,
on the Government radio
p ro g r am m e
Sheddi ng
Light, for a day of self discovery, sharing information,
reviewing developments in
our community, questioning
our elected officials about
important issues. If you
have ideas, suggestions contact the host, Malvern on
318 - 2745 or email
malvern.gis@statiagovernment.com
Please put your suggestions
or opinions in the GIS idea
box at our office at Princess.
THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE TO OTHERS
IS A GOOD EXAMPLE!
Honour where
Honour is due
We encourage Statians and
residents alike
to submit
names of persons in the community that do exceptional or
outstanding services in the
community. If you want to
nominate someone for a Royal
Decoration it is advisable to
contact the Decoration Committee for relevant island territory or the cabinet of the Lieutenant Governor. They will inform you whether the services
rendered by the nominee are
exceptional
or outstanding
enough to warrant a Royal
Decoration. They will explain
you exactly what you need to
do, once you have collected the
necessary
information.
Tel.nr.: 318-2552Fax.318 2324
Weekly Press Conferences
NOTICE
THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS EN
COURAGED TO VOICE THEIR
OPINIONS SHARE YOUR
VIEWS ABOUT THE PRELIMI
NARY REPORT ON
THE POSSIBLE EXTENTION
OF TERMINAL FACILITIES.
WE REFER YOU TO THE WEB
SITE SET UP USING
STATIAGOV.BLOGSPOT.COM
The Island Government of St.
Eustatius Dutch Caribbean