Kralendijk- Bonaire’s Commissioner of Finance calls the College of Financial Supervision (Cft) ‘inconsistent’. According to Thielman, certain decisions about the 2022 budget were inititially discussed with or even suggested by Cft, only to be critized later on after submittal of the draft.

“It is not like these things were not discussed with Cft”, says Thielman. A good example, according to the commisioner, is the plan to use 2 million dollars from the general reserve of the Public Entity to cover an expected shortfall of the same amount. “Not only was it discussed; it was even confirmed in writing’, says Thielman in a written statement to the press on Sunday.

This has not witheld Cft from critizing this and other elements of the 2022 draft budget.

Improvment plan

According to Thielman the same is true for the improvement plan the island govenrment has been working on when it comes to general financial management. “Cft is fully aware of our situation and the improvment plan. They are also aware of considerable and tangible achievements to deal with prior point of criticism”. Thielman feels Cft incorrectly suggests that little or no improvement is being made.

The commissioner also feels that Cft needs to make a choice in the role they assume. “Do they, as a body, want to provide constructive criticism for the benefit of the island, or be a body mostly focussing on criticizing no matter what”.