Marigot:--- Leader of the Union for Democracy and Vice President Daniel Gibbs has called on the elected representatives of the Collectivity of St. Martin to take full responsibility for the Collectivity's financial predicament. Gibbs called a press conference on Thursday mainly to rebuke the elected officials of the COM who are now blaming the former commune for its financial predicament. The 2010 budget has been deferred to Chamber Territorial du Compte (Chamber Regional Compte) who is expected to give a report on the 2010 budget sometime this month. Gibbs accused the Prefet of not respecting the Organic Law of St. Martin since he did not issue a report on the 2010 budget to the territorial council instead he deferred the budget to the Chamber Territorial du Compte.Gibbs, a former deputy mayor said when the commune dismantled there was 18.3 million Euros in the coffers which he said could have sustained the Collectivity for at least six months. Right now, the Territorial Council has to deal with the outcome of the report from the Chambre Territorial du Compte and instead of making a realistic budget with the expenditures and income, the elected officials are busy blaming the former commune. Gibbs said the elected should begin with transparency since that would be the beginning of a solution for the financial constraints.
It should be noted that St. Martin was given strict instructions by the Chambre Regionale du Compte not to hire more staff since their budget was already in the red prior to the new status in 2007. However, the current leaders have added at least 30% new staff most of which have extreme salaries and benefits.
The majority should have known that St. Martin was losing the Octre du Mer funds, Tax du habitation which is not processed and was eventually suppressed would have impacted the budget of St. Martin, Gibbs said. The majority to which he was part of is fully aware of what St. Martin was losing when they abolished the Tax de la Fortune and when the regle 50 was not transferred to St. Martin.
The vice president also took shots at the statements that were made by the Minister of Overseas Territories who said he is not aware of St. Martin's economic situation. Gibbs said if the Minister is not up to date with St. Martin's economic situation then someone here did not do their job. St. Martin he said has a deputy, senator, President and a Prefet while the Minister visited the island twice. "With all of the technologies that are available today, I am shocked to read that the Minister was not aware of St. Martin's disastrous economic situation," Gibbs said.
The vice president also took jabs at Semsamar whom he said is not paying its fair share to the Collectivity. Gibbs said he voiced his opinion on several occasions on lack of control government has on Semsamar when government owns 51% of the shares. The Minister of Overseas Territories he said shared the same views.