On Monday June 20th the State Secretary of Finance, Frans Weekers, will start an eight day visit to St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba. The purpose of the State Secretary’s visit is in relation to the introduction of and talks concerning the fiscal legislation and will partly combine with the programme of Minister Donner’s visit to the islands of the Dutch Caribbean.
Upon arrival in Philipsburg on Monday the State Secretary will visit the Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto and the management of the Tax Department. One of the topics is the prevention of double taxation for the inhabitants and the business community on Saba and St. Eustatius who purchase many products on St. Maarten.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the State Secretary will be visiting St.
Eustatius, Saba and Bonaire. The programmes on the three islands consist of meetings with the Island Governors and Executive Councils. Meetings with the business communities, the Tax Department and Customs are also on the agenda. This way the Secretary of State will be keeping his promise to the Dutch Parliament that he would extensively discuss the new tax system with the representatives of three public entities.
On Friday he will be travelling to Curacao. After a visit to Governor Frits Goedgedrag, he will be meeting the Minister of Finance, Jorge Jamaloodin. Subsequently he will meet the President of the Central Bank, Emsley Tromp. Weekers will also hold discussions with representatives of the Curacao tax advisors, CIFA and IFG.
Monday June 27 the programme concludes on Aruba after meeting Governor Fredis Refunjol, Prime Minister Mike Eman and the Minister of Finance Mike de Meza. These meetings are related to the progress of the negotiations around the new tax regulation between Aruba and The Netherlands. Aruba is the first land where a new BRK (Kingdom Tax Regulation) is being negotiated.