Political nominations possible in the state settlement

The General Audit Office Netherlands Antilles (Arna) has ‘serious objections’ against the stipulation in article 67 of the concept-state settlement that was copied from the Dutch constitution.

Back to prison-term for drug couriers

Drug couriers are sentenced to prison-term again now that their passports may no longer be seized.  The Supreme Court decided last week that the ban on travel cannot be imposed, because it is not included in the Antillean legislation.  The couriers that had to appear in the every two weeks Hato-session yesterday were therefore given their passports back afterwards.

Purpose budget is to retain the confidence

The purpose of the concept-budget 2009 is to retain the regained confidence in Curacao, said Finance-commissioner Mike Willem ((PAR) this morning at the opening of the consideration of the Island-budget 2009. The opposition didn’t agree with Willem’s statement and criticized the concept strongly.

Antilles also part of EU-data center shipping

In consultation with the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba as members of the Countries and Territories Overseas of the EU (LGO), the Netherlands has presented them for participation in the European LRIT-datacenter. LRIT is a worldwide identification- and localization system for shipping that is required since 2008.

Caribbean bank to yield £200m after unpaid Vat fraud probe

Financial sleuths acting for British taxpayers have won the legal right to recover an estimated £200m in unpaid Vat which is sitting in a Caribbean bank at the centre of an international fraud inquiry. The decision nine days ago by a judge in the Netherlands Antilles island of Curaçao will affect hundreds of British companies that had set up online accounts with the offshore bank to trade in hi-tech goods.

Shared Central Bank Curaçao and St.Maarten

The new autonomous Caribbean Kingdom countries Curaçao and St.Maarten will get a new, shared central bank and a new currency. This was agreed upon during the political Steering Committee meeting in St.Maarten.