WILLEMSTAD, PHILIPSBURG – Despite reports in local media, no new chairman has been appointed at the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS). St. Maarten’s Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs, confirmed during a parliamentary question hour that only a conditional nomination is under consideration, which will only take effect if both countries formally approve and the candidate passes the official screening process without objections.
Confusion arose last week when several outlets reported that attorney Jairo Bloem had already been appointed chairman of the CBCS Supervisory Board by St. Maarten’s Council of Ministers.
Former Finance Minister and current MP Ardwell Irion (National Alliance) described the development as an “illegal appointment” that could undermine the Central Bank’s independence.
Legal procedure not followed
According to the CBCS charter, a chairman can only be appointed on a joint nomination from the finance ministers of Curaçao and St. Maarten, followed by a formal decree. The Bank itself distanced from the reports, stressing that the nomination process is still ongoing.
“The Supervisory Board has not been involved in any decision of the nature described in the media,” the CBCS said in a statement.
Minister Gumbs reiterated in parliament that no official appointment has taken place. “This is a conditional nomination, which only takes effect once all requirements are met. Until then, no chairman has been appointed,” she emphasized.
Ongoing vacancies
The controversy highlights a deeper issue: the CBCS has been without an officially appointed chairman for more than four years, while other key appointments have also stalled.
Gumbs pointed out that St. Maarten remains underrepresented within the Supervisory Board and urged parliament to push forward with the necessary appointments, but stressed they must be handled strictly within the legal framework.
Irion, however, sees the situation as part of a broader governance problem. “By bypassing proper procedures, trust in our financial institutions is put at risk,” he warned, demanding clarity on why earlier nominations have still not resulted in a formal decree.
