MP Lacroes proposes 5% travel cut for sports, $100 vehicle disposal fee and stricter scooter controls

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes intends to table a budget amendment and two motions aimed at redirecting travel funds to sports, creating a mechanism to help cover the cost of removing abandoned vehicles, and tightening controls on the sale and registration of scooters.The MP made clear that the cut to the travel funds is meant for government, Parliament and all government branches with a travel post.

Lacroes said the proposals will be distributed to his fellow Members of Parliament for review and presented to the Council of Ministers for its opinion as part of the ongoing budget debate.

The proposed budget amendment would reduce travel allocations throughout the government budget by five percent, with the resulting funds redirected to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, specifically for sports.

Lacroes acknowledged that travel is necessary for government and Parliament to carry out their responsibilities, but said government officials can accept a reduction at a time when greater support is needed elsewhere.

“We have heard a lot of criticism about traveling. Without travel, we cannot do our jobs, but we could take a cut,” Lacroes said, explaining that his proposal would apply a five percent reduction across budget lines containing travel allocations.

As part of the increased focus on sports, Lacroes also wants the Ministry of ECYS to organize a workshop for sports federations on how to properly request government funding, when applications should be submitted and how organizations should plan ahead for participation in competitions and other sporting activities.

The MP said St. Maarten should not repeatedly find itself in situations where top athletes preparing to represent the country are forced to seek donations from supermarkets, businesses and members of the public because adequate financial arrangements were not made in time.

Lacroes said strengthening the knowledge of sports organizations about government funding procedures could help federations better prepare their athletes and programs while allowing available public resources to be accessed in a more structured manner.

The first of Lacroes' two motions addresses abandoned and wrecked vehicles, an issue he said continues to place a financial burden on government.

The MP said he has previously submitted requests and photographs concerning wrecked vehicles left in dangerous locations, some of which remain in place months later.

While acknowledging that government already has a policy dealing with vehicle wrecks, Lacroes questioned why the financial responsibility for towing and disposing of abandoned vehicles should continue to fall largely on government.

His proposed motion would introduce a $100 payment when a vehicle is purchased or transferred. The intention is to create a funding mechanism so that, if the vehicle is eventually abandoned and has to be removed, funds would already have been collected toward its towing and disposal.

Lacroes argued that because vehicles generally change ownership or eventually leave active use over a period of years, the system could help establish a more sustainable method of financing the removal of abandoned vehicles rather than repeatedly placing the cost on government.

Lacroes' second motion focuses on the sale and use of scooters, particularly amid continuing concerns about serious and fatal traffic accidents involving young riders.

The MP said the issue is not new and stressed that government has a responsibility to explore stronger preventive measures.

Under the proposal, a scooter entering the country should only be released for use once it is insured, registered to a licensed driver and has the required number plate in place.

Lacroes compared the proposed system to requirements applicable to motor vehicles, arguing that scooters should not be allowed onto public roads without the basic legal requirements necessary for their operation.

He also suggested that, if similar controls are applied on the French side of the island, discussions could be held with the Collectivité of Saint-Martin to encourage a coordinated approach.

Lacroes said the three proposals are not intended to frustrate government operations, businesses or the public, but to address recurring problems while making better use of government resources.

“The idea is not to frustrate, but to help move this country forward,” he said.

The MP said he hopes the budget amendment and motions will receive the support of his parliamentary colleagues and the Council of Ministers as deliberations on the country’s budget continue.

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