Oranjestad, St. Eustatius- Independent member of the Island Council, Koos Sneek, has sent in several written questions about the second periodical reporting about the Finances of the Public Entity St. Eustatius, as compiled under the responsibility of Acting Government Commissioner, Claudia Toet.

In a letter, dated on Agustus 31, 2021 Sneek asks a number of critical questions about items in the ‘Second Implementation Report 2021’. One of the questions regards a cost overrun of 159,192 dollars on salary costs for departed Government commissioner and his (then) Acting Commissioner Alida Francis.

“What is the reason that the salary cost of Francis/v. Rij has been overspent with USD 159.192?”, Sneek wants to know from Commissioners Francis and Toet.

Allowances

The question of Sneek is part of his bigger concern on the overrun of 2 million dollars on allowances on the island. Sneek notes that while many of these cost overruns have so far been absorbed by the National Government, but may have to be carried by the regular finances of local Government.

“More than 2 million dollars in total have been overspent on a number of special allowances. One can read that these overspendings may have to be financed out of the regular budget of the OLE. To what extent and in which year will this have an effect on the regular budget and how will this be absorbed?”, writes Sneek in his letter.