Budget approved
for public debate
PHILIPSBURG--The draft 2008 budget has been forwarded for public debate after six hours of debate in the Central Committee on Friday. The hope is that the public sessions on the budget can start on December 18 or a date close to that.
Members of the Island Council received information pertaining to the draft 2008 budget from sector directors in a meeting of the Central Committee at Dr. Claude Wathey Legislative Hall on Friday. The meeting started at 10:00am and lasted till 5:00pm.
Democratic Party Councilman Leroy de Weever chaired the meeting in which sector directors gave their policy plans and accompanying rational and budget for the year 2008. “They outlined the organisational structure, presented the condensed version of the budget, and provided insight into latest developments,” the Government Information Service (GIS) stated on Friday.
Commissioner Roy Marlin provided an elucidation of the circumstances of the island budget, pointing out increases in certain departments and explaining the developments responsible, and the adjustments of outside funding sources such as Dutch funding agency USONA and the Social Economic Initiative (SEI).
Marlin told The Daly Herald the budget gave a view of the government’s policy and vision in light of country status to be attained by the end of 2008.
He said as well that there had been a good interaction between the Island Council and the Executive Council on the budget. “Several technical questions were posed, but the discussions focused on government’s policy in light of attaining separate status,” he said.
Marlin deemed the meeting “very good” and congratulated the directors of all sectors for a job well done. “I was impressed by the way they did their presentations,” he said.
