POND ISLAND–Government has initiated an audit of St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation’s (SCDF’s) books. It will also foot the bill, said Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Stuart Johnson, under whose purview the Carnival subsidy falls.
Johnson signed the document authorising the financial audit of the foundation on Thursday. Government Accountant Bureau SOAB will conduct the audit of the 2017 Carnival books based on a March 13 Council of Ministers decision.
As a condition for government’s NAf. 350,000 subsidy, SCDF must provide audited financial statements for the previous year. This Audit should have been carried out and submitted to the Council by June 1, 2018.
“Carnival in St. Maarten is a major driver of economic activity. … We must do our utmost to protect the integrity of the Carnival each year, and that includes ensuring that the financial position of the SCDF, which organises the event each year, is solid, bearing in mind that the subsidy it gets each year comes from the taxpayers,” said Johnson.
The audit stems from “too many negative comments … circulating on social media and within the community regarding the SCDF’s handling of its finances, which included claims that some individuals who won prizes have still not been able to collect,” according to Johnson.
The audit results will determine how government will work with SCDF in the future.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/89677-johnson-starts-carnival-audit
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