PHILIPSBURG--Ombudsman Nilda Arduin has issued an urgent call to Parliament and Government for “immediate and swift actions” to correct the looming issues at the Cadastre and Mortgage Registry, commonly called the kadaster.

 

The call for swift action after the Court of First Instance handed down a verdict this week holding Government responsible for mistakes made by the Cadastre.

 

In June 2012, the Ombudsman reported to Instructure Minister after finalising her investigation into concerns about the operations and registration of information at the Cadastre. After numerous requests for follow up by the Minister on the report, Parliament was addressed by the Ombudsman with yet another report about the operational issues in 2013.The possibility of Government being held responsible for mistakes made by the Cadastre was one of her main concerns.

 

None of the recommendations issued by the Ombudsman in her reports were followed by the Cadastre.

 

Further, the tools proposed and discussed by the Ombudsman to take action when discussing her Year Report 2014 in Parliament were not followed. “The result of the non-action by Government and Parliament on a report presented more than three years ago, and repeatedly brought to the attention of all parties responsible for the proper registration of property on St. Maarten, resulted in the country being fined by the Court.

 

The Daily Herald