The Public Entity of Saba
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Commissioners send Letter Expressing Concerns on APV to Island Council |
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Written by GIS Officer
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Friday, 20 January 2012 15:01 |
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Commissioners Chris Johnson and Bruce Zagers have sent a letter to the Island Council of the Public Entity of Saba expressing their concerns about the proposed “Algemene Plaatselijke Verorderdening Openbaar Lichaam Saba” (APV), general local legislation that outlines laws specific to the Public Entity.
In the letter, the commissioners state, that they have decided to deviate from the standard “Modus Operandi”, where the Executive Council will normally submit proposals to Island Council for deliberation and final approval, and have chosen to submit their comments and objections to the APV, in a separate document, apart from the Island Governor.
The commissioners go on to argue that APV should be a practical document based on “common sense” so that enforcement can be done in the manner intended. They caution that once a law has been implemented, it can be interpreted in most extreme and absolute manner by the authority responsible for enforcement. The letter points out that the transition is a prime example of how one individual’s interpretation of the law could differ significantly from the “spirit of the law.”The Council is advised to “err on the side of caution” so there is no room for unintended consequences after implementation of the APV.
Specific articles of the APV, that in the opinion of the commissioners, could have “undesired affects on the community of Saba” are pointed out in the letter, with critical commentary for the legislative body to consider.
The commissioners conclude their advisory on the APV by pointing out that legislative powers rest solely in the hands of the Island Council and the body must remain accountable for the passage of any legislation. |
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Government outlines solutions in letter to Permanent Committees of 1st and 2nd Chambers. |
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Written by GIS Officer
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Thursday, 19 January 2012 16:28 |
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The Executive Council of the Public Entity of Saba has sent a list of Execution Points on what could be done to alleviate negative effects since 10-10-10 to the Permanent Committees on Kingdom Relations of the First and Second Chambers that visited the island on January 7th. The recommendations are based on what the Executive Council believes has most negatively affected the residents of Saba since 10-10-10, and what should be given the highest priority.
In the area of taxes, the Executive Council recommends that the ABB be reduced to 4% percent “across the board”. It is further requested that the ABB on the shipping costs and on milk, fruits and vegetables be removed. As for the vastgoedbelasting (Real Estate Taxes), the government requested that the tax only be applied on businesses that are valued at more than 2 million dollars.
In the letter the Executive Council also raises issues related to the transfer agreement with GEBE, the relocation of the power plant and the underground cabling project.
In the area of Health Care, special attention is requested for an analysis of the current medication list and the daily allowance received by persons who need to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Other issues brought forward in the letter deal with the functioning of the Immigration Department (IND) with regards to persons who are having problems obtaining working permits, permanent residency etc. The problem regarding the issuing of Visas, a request has been made that this should be done by the RCN so that the overall procedure can be improved.
Attention was also given to the level of the Vrije Uitkering. The Council requests that the Free Allowance be indexed based on the local inflation and not that of the Netherlands. It further goes on to suggest that the findings in the reports initiated by BZK, namely the Brinkman Report and now the draft Referentie Kader be honoured.
Lastly, the high cost of interisland travel was suggested as a bottleneck. |
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New Garbage Bins to be distributed |
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GIS Articles
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Written by GIS Officer
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Tuesday, 17 January 2012 14:17 |
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Commissioner of Public Works, Bruce Zagers announced that the distribution of the new garbage bins would commence this week. While the bins have been on the island for some time now, the Public Works Department and Planning Bureau had to assess, which areas and which households needed to receive new bins or whether the old bins would suffice.
The bins which have been manufactured in the Netherlands (KLIKO Containers) are made out of rugged, durable, and weather resistant plastic that is expected last quite some time. Government chose this particular manufacturer, because of their reputation and the experience with the same type of bins on the island.
The bins were purchased with funds from the Social Economic Initiative and are part of the Waste Management Plan. |
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Copyright 2011 The Public Entity of Saba - Website By: Richard Hassell - GIS Articles By: Vito Charles
