Parliament of Sint Maarten
Draft · before Parliament

Budget 2027

Draft budget 2027 · Overview

DraftBefore Parliament

Sint Maarten’s 2027 budget, in plain English

This is the government’s plan for 2027: what it expects to collect, what it intends to spend, and what it wants to build and borrow. Draft, presented to Parliament on 8 September 2026 and not yet adopted.

It plans to take in Cg 670.3M and spend Cg 662.2M, leaving a planned surplus of Cg 8.1M. Every figure below links to the page it came from, tap the gold § tag to see it.

The ledger · 2027 draft vs 2026 approved

Money inCg 670.3MTaxes, licences, fees and other revenue
Money outCg 662.2MThe day-to-day running of government
Planned surplusCg 8.1MMoney in minus money out, before any investment or borrowing

To the guilder · The draft ordinance, the text Parliament votes on, sets revenue at Cg 670,306,505 and spending at Cg 662,158,099, a difference of Cg 8,148,406.

Where the money comes from

Chapter 1

Where the money comes from

The government expects Cg 670.3M in 2027. Taxes bring in 74% of it. The rest is licences, fees and concessions, and “other revenue”, which includes money from the Netherlands for specific projects.

Revenue by category · 2027

Hover or focus a category to pick it out of the ring.

The largest taxes

  • Wage taxLoonbelastingCg 194M
  • Turnover taxBelasting bedrijfsomzettenCg 184M
  • Profit taxWinstbelastingCg 47M
  • Transfer taxOverdrachtsbelastingCg 20M
  • Room taxLogeerbelastingCg 15M
  • Excise dutiesAccijnzenCg 13M

Dutch-funded project money

Cg 63M

Money from the Netherlands for specific projects is booked as revenue: Cg 63M in 2027, against Cg 69M in 2026. The budget says this money is ending:

  • TWO ends after the first quarter of 2027
  • The Trust Fund ends in 2028

The budget’s own forecast has other revenue falling from Cg 87M in 2027 to Cg 36M in 2028.

Not counted in these figures

The budget names revenue it has deliberately left out until it is certain.

  • Tourist taxabout Cg 18M

    Left out until Parliament passes the law; the government aims to add it in 2027 through a budget amendment.

  • Revised Fees Ordinance (Legesverordening)no amount given

    Being prepared; not in the estimates.

  • Gaming taxno amount given

    Being explored; not in the estimates.

  • Better tax complianceno amount given

    Programme under way; no yield counted.

Where it goes

Chapter 2

Where it goes

The 7 ministries share Cg 633.2M. Parliament, the High Councils of State and the special entities take Cg 29M. Education, Culture, Youth & Sport is the largest, at Cg 133.1M , 20.1% of all spending.
Money in
Cg 670.3M
Where it goes
Cg 662.2M spent
  • Parliament & entities
    Cg 29.0M
  • Left over
    Cg 8.1M

Each area, 2026 approved vs 2027 draft

Select a ministry to see its plans, staff and risks.

What it's spent on

Chapter 3

What it's spent on

Cut another way, the same Cg 662.2M splits into kinds of cost. Personnel costs , paying the people government employs, is the biggest: Cg 289.8M, or 43.8% of all spending.

Spending by kind of cost · 2027

Open a category for its meaning and change from last year.

  • Personnel costsCg 289.8M44%

    Salaries, allowances, pension and social premiums for the people government employs.

  • Other operating costsCg 109.1M16%

    Goods and services government buys, supplies, IT, contracted work and advice.

  • Subsidies & transfersCg 106.4M16%

    Money passed on to other organisations to deliver services, such as subsidised schools and foundations.

  • Accommodation & transportCg 52.8M8%

    Renting, running and maintaining buildings, plus vehicles and travel.

  • Social provisionsCg 36.4M5%

    Benefits paid to people, such as social assistance.

  • Interest & bank chargesCg 31M5%

    Interest on the government's loans, plus bank charges.

  • Roads & wasteCg 16.3M2%

    Road maintenance and repairs, and garbage collection.

  • DepreciationCg 16M2%

    The yearly cost of wear on buildings and equipment government owns.

  • Student costsCg 3.7M1%

    Study financing and allowances for students.

  • Not itemised in the numbers bookCg 0.6M0%

    Where a printed total in the numbers book is higher than its printed lines. Kept visible so the totals still match.

What changed

Chapter 4

What changed

Compared with the approved 2026 budget, revenue goes from Cg 647.1M to Cg 670.3M and spending from Cg 635.9M to Cg 662.2M. These are the largest single changes, by size.

Largest changes vs 2026

  1. 1
    General AffairsCg 90.0M to Cg 101.1M
    Money out
  2. 2
    Turnover taxCg 176M to Cg 184M
    Money in
  3. 3
    FinanceCg 90.6M to Cg 97.9M
    Money out
  4. 4
    Education, Culture, Youth & SportCg 126.1M to Cg 133.1M
    Money out
  5. 5
    Wage taxCg 188M to Cg 194M
    Money in
  6. 6
    Project funds received (Dutch-funded)Cg 69M to Cg 63M
    Money in
  7. 7
    Business licencesCg 7M to Cg 12M
    Money in
  8. 8
    Public Health, Social Development & LabourCg 108.7M to Cg 103.7M
    Money out
Total spendingCg 662.2M2026 approved: Cg 635.9M
Building and borrowing

Chapter 5

Building and borrowing

Separate from the day-to-day budget is the capital budget, money for buildings, equipment and land, mostly borrowed. The draft plans Cg 222M of investment in 2027, against Cg 164M in 2026. Much of it repeats last year: the memorandum says every investment planned for 2026 has been put in again, because it is not yet known whether the 2026 loan will be obtained.
Capital investmentCg 222MBuildings, equipment, land and software
Borrowed76%of the Cg 249M to be financed, Cg 188M in loans

How it is paid for

The Cg 249M covers the Cg 222M of investment plus Cg 27M of loan repayments and study loans.

To the guilder · The draft ordinance authorises Cg 221,237,079 of capital investment and new borrowing of up to Cg 52,986,502.

The largest projects

6 of 13
  • Housing & InfraNew generators for GEBECg 75.6MPrinted as 75.000 on EN 151, but the table only adds up at 75.600. The same Cg 75.6M was in the 2026 budget.
  • FinanceFinance restructuring, incl. ICTCg 33.0MNo project sheet in §6.5.2.
  • FinanceAccommodation (Tax Administration building)Cg 27.5MUp from Cg 0.3M in 2026; the project sheet gives Cg 27,300k.
  • Tourism & EconomyMeteorology & Civil Aviation (MetCA) buildingCg 10.5MThe project sheet says Cg 10,690k; the numbers book Cg 10,533k.
  • ParliamentNew Parliament buildingCg 10MOne line, no timeline, location or cost breakdown is given.
  • General AffairsBuy government buildings to replace leasesCg 9M
Loans and cash, in detail
Cash and debt

Chapter 6

Cash and debt

A planned surplus on paper is not the same as cash in the bank. The cash plan starts the year with Cg 5M of free cash and ends it with Cg 2M. Meanwhile, loans rise from Cg 1,047M to Cg 1,078M.

Free cash through 2027, quarter by quarter

StartCg 5M
Free cash starts the year at Cg 5M and is planned to end it at Cg 2M. Hover or tap a quarter for its detail.
Free cash at year endCg 2Mfrom Cg 5M at the start of 2027
The loans, through 2027
Loans at the start of 2027Cg 1,047M
Plus the new loan+ Cg 53M
Minus repayments− Cg 22M
Loans at the end of 2027Cg 1,078M

Loans that must be refinanced later: Cg 59M in 2029 and Cg 79M in 2030.

Debt compared with the economy

32.2%2026: 32.6%

Counting short-term debts too, the memorandum puts total debt at Cg 1,127M at the end of 2027 (Cg 1,088M in 2026). The share above compares that debt with the size of the economy (GDP), using the IMF's estimate of Cg 3,499M for 2027. Switch the source to see how much the estimate matters.

Interest on the debt

Cg 31M

Rate on the new loan

3.75%

as projected in the memorandum

Cash and debt, in detail
The years ahead

Chapter 7

The years ahead

The budget includes a forecast to 2030. It shows revenue a little above spending in every year, a planned surplus each year from 2027 to 2030. A forecast is not a commitment: later budgets will replace these figures.

Planned result per year

The forecast, in Cg millions
YearInOutResult
2027670662+8
2028648640+8
2029666642+24
2030688668+20
What the watchdogs said

Chapter 8

What the watchdogs said

Before a budget reaches Parliament, two independent bodies give formal advice on it. Their letters are part of the official file. The Minister of Finance replied to the Cft on 16 July 2026; the government answered the Council of Advice on 7 September 2026.

9 July 2026 · Raises concerns

Board of Financial Supervision (Cft)

College financieel toezicht Curaçao en Sint Maarten

The Kingdom body that checks whether the budget meets the rules for sound public finances.

The Cft welcomed the much earlier submission, but found that the draft it received on 25 June 2026 did not yet meet the Rft's balance rule because major risks (health-fund deficits and financial problems at some government-owned companies) were left out. It added that not all revenue and spending was sufficiently explained and verifiable, voiced concern about limited cash and large payment arrears, and was critical of a new loan request for investments.
Advice on an earlier draft, welcomed as early

The Minister of Finance asked for this advice on 25 June 2026 (request DIV 5952-A), and the Cft answered on 9 July 2026. It therefore reviewed an earlier version of the budget than the one Parliament registered on 8 September 2026 (NL 1), and some of its figures differ from the final budget. The Cft said it 'appreciates this much earlier submission compared with previous years'.

Not yet in line with the balance rule

The draft showed a surplus of Cg 8 million (the Cft writes XCG, the currency code of the Caribbean guilder) on the ordinary service, the day-to-day budget, in 2027, and small surpluses or balance after that. But major risks, including the health-care funds' deficits and financial problems at some government-owned companies, were not included, so the budget 'does not yet' meet the Rft balance norm (Art. 15(1)(a)). Not all revenue and spending was explained and verifiable enough to judge the result (Art. 15(2)). In the draft the Cft saw, the result was Cg 8, 0, 16 and 14 million for 2027-2030 (NL 330); the final memorandum shows Cg 8, 8, 24 and 20 million (EN 13).

Almost no cash buffer

The Cft wrote that Sint Maarten has no liquidity (spare cash) to absorb unexpected setbacks or make new policy. In the draft, one forecast showed Cg 5 million of free cash at the end of 2027, against about Cg 145 million of payment arrears (unpaid bills). The forecasts also disagreed: Cg 5 million in one table, Cg 0 in another and minus Cg 8 million in the text. It advised a clear, workable plan of new revenue or cost control and said it would like to be involved. The final budget's tables show Cg 2 million at the end of 2027 (EN 22, EN 167), though the text on EN 167 still mentions minus Cg 8 million.

Cft 202600061

18 August 2026 · Positive, with conditions

Council of Advice

Raad van Advies

A High Council of State that advises on every draft law, including the budget, before Parliament sees it.

The Council praised the timely and complete file, but recommended that the government not send the draft budget to Parliament until the Council's remarks had been taken into account.
Praise for an early, complete file

The Council was positive that the 2027 draft, with a complete file, reached it on time, and that efforts are being made to bring the budget cycle in line with the legal deadlines. It listed those deadlines: submission to Parliament before 1 September (Constitution, Art. 100(3)) and a Parliament-approved budget sent to the Cft before 15 December (Kingdom Act on Financial Supervision, Rft, Art. 14(1)).

Built on a 2026 budget that was not yet law

The Getallenboek (book of figures) starts from 2026 budget spending, while Parliament had not yet adopted the 2026 budget. The Council said structurally late adoption is incompatible with an orderly, predictable budget cycle and undermines Parliament's budget right. Any 2026 amendments flow straight into 2027, and if far-reaching changes are made the draft must be sent back to the Council.

Four years of annual accounts not adopted

The annual accounts (jaarrekeningen) for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have not been adopted, although the National Accounting Ordinance (Comptabiliteitslandsverordening, Art. 52(1)) requires each to reach Parliament by 1 September of the following year. (The Council had advised on the 2022 accounts ordinance on 21 January 2025.) Quoting the government's further report of 10 June 2026 on the 2026 budget (2022 accounts by the end of 2026; 2023 and 2024 early in 2027), the Council noted the efforts to clear the backlog but said that while it lasts, the quality of budget preparation is under pressure and legal deadlines are not met.

RvA no. SM/05-26-LV
Read every point and the replies
Risks

Chapter 9

Risks

The memorandum lists what could knock the budget off course. These are the government’s own risks, summarised.

  • A hurricane

    A major storm in 2027 would hit the economy, cut revenue and raise costs.

  • Debt and interest

    High debt leaves little room to respond to a shock; two loans must be refinanced in 2029–2030, probably at higher rates.

  • An ageing population

    Fewer workers paying in and more spending on pensions, health and elderly care.

  • Slow growth

    Real growth of about 2% is low; weaker growth would hit tax revenue.

  • Inflation

    Stable for now, but a rise would push up costs and squeeze purchasing power.

  • Global shocks

    As a small, import-dependent economy, Sint Maarten feels supply-chain and price shocks directly.

  • A new pandemic

    Listed as a risk to tourism and revenue.

Each ministry’s own risks are on its page, with the likelihood and impact where the ministry gives them. See the ministries.

Does it add up?

Chapter 10

Does it add up?

Every figure on this site was typed from the official pages; 1,630 key figures were re-checked by a second reader, and the machine checks run every time the site is built: the parts must add up to the totals, to the guilder where the documents allow.
Checks that pass114 / 114Every reconciliation check passes on this build.
Pages read523186 in the English memorandum, 337 in the Dutch submission
Re-checked by a second reader1,630179 typing slips caught and fixed before publishing
Lines in the numbers book1,290Every line transcribed and reconciled to the ordinance total
Arithmetic checks on the book3,18034 places where the printed book itself doesn't add up, kept and labelled
English vs Dutch figures that differ0Every English figure compared with the legal Dutch text

Where the documents disagree

In 20 places the official documents say two different things, print a total that doesn’t match its parts, or carry something readers should know. We show them rather than quietly pick one; 20 are still open in the documents. Last re-checked against the pages on 2 October 2026.

  • Two different figuresYear-end cash: the text says −8, the table says +2
  • Two different figuresLoan repayments: 17 in the text, 22 in every table
  • Two different figuresThe new loan: Cg 56.5M or Cg 53M?
  • Two different figuresThree debt figures, two debt ratios
  • Two different figuresThe spending increase: the text says +27, the table +25
  • Two different figuresTwo different forecasts for 2028–2030
  • Two different figuresSocial benefits: an “increase” that the table shows as a decrease
  • Two different figuresCentral Bank dividend: 9 in the text, 6 in the table
  • Two different figuresGEBE generators: printed as 75.0M, the total needs 75.6M
  • Two different figuresParliament's 2027 budget: 21 in one chapter, 22 in another
  • Two different figuresJustice: “changes made”, but the chapter still says no significant differences
  • Two different figures“Budget at a glance” doesn't match the detailed tables
  • Two different figuresChapter 7's 2027 ministry totals add up to 665, not 662
  • Two different figuresLast year's totals: 637 printed, 635.9 in the numbers book
  • Two different figuresSpending by kind: the memorandum's table and the numbers book differ
  • A total that doesn't match its partsTotals in the numbers book that don't equal their own lines
  • A total that doesn't match its partsTotals in the loan statement (Statement E) that don't equal their parts
  • Worth knowingAll 2026 investments are budgeted again in 2027
  • Worth knowingCg 134.2M of earlier loans counted again as 2027 financing
  • Worth knowingPages 1–24 still say “Budget 2026” in the footer
Read each one in full
Sources and publication notes