PHILIPSBURG--A draft law to regulate the operations of pawn shops and cash-for-gold establishments was the keystone of United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Romain Laville’s presentation Tuesday evening, as Parliament continued its deliberations on the draft 2012 budget.
Such regulation is “needed and overdue,” Laville said.
Laville had stated his intention in the past to bring such legislation to Parliament as a way to stop the fencing of stolen merchandise. From his explanation, the draft will place the onus on pawnshop owners/operators to check registration and report every item they collect to the police. Failure to comply would result in a fine for the business.
The budget debate moves into its third day today, Wednesday, when the meeting resumes at 10:00am. So far, only five MPs have made their presentations and posed questions to the Council of Ministers.
Laville’s draft law will regulate the age of the individual pawning the item, the need for proper identification with full name and contact information and a detailed description of the item. For every transaction, the pawnshop owner would be required by the law to keep a record of the pawned item. The pawn shop owner will be required also to report the items they have received to the police within in a specified period of time with the correct serial numbers, when this is applicable.
The draft law will also restrict people with police records from operating pawnshops.
Laville also signalled his intention to send “letters” to several ministers on creating youth employment by giving, among other things, tax holidays to young entrepreneurs, implementing an alternative energy plan and safeguarding the rights of employees, especially if a company is sold or goes bankrupt.
He criticised the majority of the cabinet for not being present in the General Assembly Hall as the meeting continued yesterday evening. “It makes me annoyed. We have to speak to a bunch of empty chairs,” Laville said, adding that the ministers have asked Parliament to vote on “their budget,” but didn’t have the interest to sit and listen to what MPs had to say. Only Ministers Cornelius de Weever, Rhoda Arrindell and Roland Duncan were present at the time Laville made his presentation.
The MP called for a poverty line study, saying that there was no middle class on St. Maarten “only rich and poor.”
There are “two types” of St. Maarten: a cosmopolitan facade and poverty where families are “using an outhouse, can’t afford to feed children, can’t put five or ten guilders in the bank.”
He said there also are people who can’t afford to pay for electricity, “so they are burning candles” and that St. Maarten is “backwards” socially, compared to other islands with less economic progress.
Laville, commenting on Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Franklin Meyers (UP) presentation to parliament on Monday, said he had expected to hear about economic opportunities for young people but none was presented and there were also no proposals for a youth unemployment policy.
MP Johan Leonard (UP) read a draft motion aimed at banning the use of plastic shopping bags in the country. A similar motion was also outlined by independent MP Frans Richardson. Both motions are expected to be formally presented to Parliament during the second round of deliberations.
UP MP Silvia Meyers-Olivacce commented on the lack of courteousness in the community and called on Minister Arrindell to find more ways of engaging youngsters, so they become productive members of society. She also suggested increasing school hours to keep youngsters out of trouble and occupied in a supervised environment.
Tuesday’s meeting started after 10:00am with MPs Frans Richardson and George Pantophlet giving their suggestions and observations. The session was adjourned after 1:00pm to allow MPs to attend an economic seminar hosted by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT, government and theUniversityofSt. Martin.
President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell had set the resumption time of the meeting for 5:00pm. This was contrary to an agreement made by National Alliance (NA) leader MP William Marlin and Deputy President of Parliament MP Leroy de Weever (Democratic Party) on Monday, for the meeting to be adjourned until Wednesday morning. This “breach” of the agreement led Marlin to submit a lengthy letter of protest to Arrindell.
NA had wanted the meeting to be adjourned until Wednesday, because its member MP Louie Laveist had a “medical issue” he had to attend to and could not be present Tuesday afternoon.
Arrindell reopened the meeting at 5:00pm, stating that there was “an issue” raised about the continuance and that she would respond to Marlin’s “accusations” in writing. She added that she “respected” the decision of De Weever, but didn’t see why the meeting could not continue with the MPs already signed up to speak and then going to an adjournment.
De Weever said he would have liked to respect the agreement and it would have saved the “argument” that marked the reopening of the meeting. However, given the circumstances, he had consulted with Marlin who was willing to proceed with the MPs already signed up and then have the adjournment.
MP Jules James (UP) chimed in that if the agreement between De Weever and Marlin had been discussed with the other parliamentary group leaders, there would have been no argument to deal with. De Weever said it was the chairman’s prerogative to make such an agreement without the need to consult with the parliamentary group leaders.
Marlin said he wasn’t in parliament “to play games,” and that the agreement to adjourn the meeting on Tuesday afternoon and resume on Wednesday was “on the record.” It was, therefore, “unfair to make it appear we were being disgusting again.”
Christina Aguilera The US embassy cables Work & careers Hacking Financial Services Authority (FSA) Xabi Alonso
No comments:
Post a Comment