Minister Plasterk (of Interior and Kingdom Relations) has not approved the budget 2017 of St. Eustatius. The budget of the public entity does not comply with the requirements of the law. The Executive Council of St. Eustatius now needs to draw up a new draft budget as soon as possible. Minister Plasterk informed the Executive Council and the Island Council of St. Eustatius of this today.
According to the FINBES (Finance Law Public Entities BES) the Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations must give approval to a budget established by the Island Council. The St. Eustatius budget 2017 does not meet the requirements of the law because the estimated staff budget is too tight to meet the full staffing, no account was taken of contingencies, and the expenditure envisaged for the implementation of the action plan to put the administrative issues in order and under control, does not provide coverage. It is now up to the Executive Council to quickly make a draft budget that complies with the law. The Financial Supervision BES will then again give an advice and after taking that advice into account, the new budget is offered to the Island Council to establish. As long as no approval has been granted to the budget of 2017, all expenses and obligations that the island wants to make as of January 1st , 2017, must be submitted for approval to the Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations.
