PHILIPSBURG–The Council of Ministers, on Tuesday, “approved the candidacy” of former Lt. Governor Russell Voges as St. Maarten’s nominee for the board of the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT.
Finance Minister Perry Geerlings said Voges has a background in finance and is someone “who is very important this time.”
Geerlings said while he wants to steer clear of “bad mouthing” CFT, it was his opinion that the CFT appears to have “a political agenda” and St. Maarten “needs someone strong” who will represent the country on the board.
Geerlings “has always attempted” to “push” CFT in a direction to also assist St. Maarten and to come with solutions to help the country reach the goals set in the Kingdom law. While the relationship is “getting better,” Geerlings is weary that with the appointment of Henk Kamp to the CFT board by the Netherlands means that St. Maarten “needs someone who can stand up to someone of that magnitude.”
Voges is expected to succeed Maria Plantz as St. Maarten’s nominee for the CFT board. Plantz was put forward to the Kingdom Council of Ministers as nominee for the position of member of the Kingdom Council of State (“Raad van State”) as per October 1, 2018.
This vacancy remained unfilled after Dennis Richardson left the Council of State in 2013 to become Minister of Justice. Plantz has served as member nominated by St. Maarten to the CFT, since October 1, 2015 and has previously served as vice-chair of the first Corporate Governance Council of St. Maarten from 2010 to 2014.
Other members of the CFT board are Chairman Raymond Gradus (proposed by the Kingdom Government); Henk Kamp (proposed by the Netherlands) and Gregory Damoen (proposed by Curaçao).
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/79616-russell-voges-approved-by-govt-for-cft-board
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