National Alliance Senator George Pantophlet said during the week of the October 19 to the October 22, 2009 several central committee meetings of Parliament to discuss the Draft Budget 2009 among others were convened.
The policies of the different ministries were presented by the responsible ministers. On November 30, 2009 the Draft Budget2009 will be handled by parliament in a Public meeting. During said meeting it was also mentioned that the Ministry of finance will be the last one to be transferred. Based on the agreement made on November 28, 2008 when the work is transferred the money will follow. This is the same with all ministries. Monies have also been budgeted to support the dismantling process, archives and the Inspectorate of taxes. On Wednesday October 21, 2009 a central committee meeting was convened to discuss the integration of the SVB and the BZV. The faction of the National Alliance thought it better not to continue this process seeing that in the next two months the transfers of authorities have to take place. And the fact that St. Maarten is busy with a National Health Insurance System. Also explained during the meeting was that talks were ongoing between the government and the Island Territory of St. Maarten on this issue. A working agreement between the two future countries on this matter is not excluded. The meeting has been postponed until a future date. Also on Wednesday October21, 2009 a Public meeting was held with the Prime Minister Emily de Jong-Elhage to get a report on her discussions with Minister of Justice of the Netherlands Mr. Hirsch Balin on the Draft Kingdom Law on the Movements of persons and related legislation. It appears that the Minister of Justice still wants to proceed with the Kingdom Law on the movement of persons with some changes. But Parliament had already unanimously rejected the Draft Law. Additionally at the time the then Minister of Justice Mr. David Dick had sent a strongly worded letter expressing government’s rejection of the draft law. A motion was prepared to re-emphasize the feelings of Parliament but did not get the support of all the members as they felt it would be superfluous. On Thursday October 22, 2009 another central committee meeting of Parliament was convened to discuss with SITEK the escalating aggression among school children. Also discussed was the Initiative draft Federal Ordinance t o amend the General Federal Ordinance on Federal Taxes (P.B. 2001, no.89) and the Federal Ordinance on Income Tax 1943 (P.B. 2002, no.63)Session 2008-2009-3422). The Initiative Draft Ordinance to amend the General Federal Ordinance on Federal Taxes intention is to encourage persons that are earning an income locally and abroad to report this to the local authorities. The Draft Federal Ordinance on Income Tax will allow parents to deduct 15000 guilders instead of the present 10,000 guilders that is spent on their children studying abroad. The decision for this has to do with the increase in cost of living and also related to the Euro and also an additional 200 guilders reduction on tax for pensioners who are earning 3000 guilders per month or less. Our faction proposed that parents with children studying within the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba especially from St. Maarten be also included in this draft federal ordinance. A more detailed information on these two ordinances will be forthcoming.