PHILIPSBURG--The Island Council meets today, Saturday at 2:00pm to handle the final organic law – the regulation of government's finances – that stems from the Constitution of Country St. Maarten. The meeting will be in the Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall and is open to the public.

This final piece of draft legislation sets the condition for the preparation and presentation of the country budget and annual reports, Democratic Party (DP) councilwoman Maria Buncamper-Molanus told The Daily Herald after Friday's Central Committee meeting.

The preparation and presentation for the country budget is ultimately the responsibility of the financial minister. The seven ministers will have to each prepare a budget for their ministry and annual accounts that will be merged to make up the country budget and the country annuals by the finance minister.

The draft legislation also covers the presentation of the budget of Parliament of Country St. Maarten. The parliament will be independent from the functioning of government and its budget will be put together by the parliament presidium and submitted to the finance minister for funding.

The finance minister can make queries about the total amount of the parliament budget, Buncamper-Molanus explained, but has no say to change or add new policies.

"Basically, the draft law covers good principles of business and also takes into consideration the regulations of the CFT [Committee for Financial Supervision]," she said.

The DP members asked in the Central Committee meeting about the preparation of the amendments needed to adjust the present island territory budget to a country budget as of 10-10-10 when St. Maarten attains country status. Buncamper-Molanus said government informed the committee that this was awaiting the passing of this draft law and work will start as soon and this process is completed.

This is the last piece that needs to be in place before Constitutional Affairs Commissioner William Marlin heads to The Hague for the Final Roundtable Conference (RTC) that will vet the readiness of St. Maarten and Curaçao to become countries-within-the-Dutch-Kingdom.

This is the reason the Island Council is meeting on a Saturday. It is a rare occurrence for such meetings to be held at the weekend, but faced with a time pressure, the council members will be busy debating this afternoon. Central Committee meetings have been held on Saturdays in the recent past.

In Curaçao, however, Saturday Island Council meetings do occur frequently. In fact, one will take place today there as that island rushes to get its constitution passed in time for the final RTC.

St. Maarten's Island Council meeting will be live on radio and St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 15/20. Curaçao's meeting will be Telecuraçao-broadcast on Cable TV channel 30.