New Year, New Challenges,
My Cabinet, my Management Team and all my colleagues in the Ministry of Finance join me in wishing the entire Sint Maarten a Happy and Healthy new year 2015.
The past year, 2014, will go down in the history of Sint Maarten as the year of multiple challenges in many aspects, but also a year of year of reflection on ourselves and our future. Financially, 2014 may have been seen as a difficult year for businesses, for Government and for the population in general. Nonetheless, our resilience has demonstrated once again that we were capable to overcome many hurdles. It is with the same resilience that we should be determined to also overcome the serious challenges that 2015 is setting for us.
The past experience was such a learning experience in determining how stability is now so important as we continue building the country. It is now no secret to anyone that stability in government finances is a must and the only way to go to ensure prosperity to all. The financial stability that, with the assistance of my team, I am determined to undertake in 2015, will require further discipline in government and better compliance toward the financial obligations from all.
The latest 2014 figures shared by the Central Bank give clear indication that the 2014 Sint Maarten financial outlook of our economy was above prediction and promising, this is a sign that the set goal for 2015 could be easier to achieve. But nothing could be done without joint efforts, collaboration and most importantly, without individual and collective sense of responsibility and good governance.
Again, Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year