Statia In Charge of Its Own Budget Again
The Statia Government has regained full authority to draft and implement its own budget. This came into effect on 20 June 2023, with the signing of the Royal Decree for Article 15 of the Sint Eustatius Restoration Facilities Act by His Majesty the King. The State Secretary for Interior and Kingdom Relations has informed the Public Body of this development and has also notified the First and Second Chamber.
The return of budgetary rights marks another step in the restoration of democracy on the island, following the administrative intervention of 2018. The Executive Council and the Island Council are once again responsible for tasks such as drafting the annual accounts and the budget. The State Secretary stated in her letter that she was delighted that an important step had been taken towards phasing out the administrative intervention. However, she also emphasised the ongoing importance of the authorities in Statin maintaining good financial management and following agreed working procedures, as committed to in the memorandum of understanding by the island government.
The final step in the process will be the appointment of a Governor for Statia. It is vital that all improvement steps are implemented and all measures are in place before this can occur. The recruitment process for this position is currently under way.