WILLEMSTAD – MFK Member of Parliament Ishahier Monte is calling for stronger oversight of government subsidies and wants the Minister of Finance to consider suspending or reducing payments to organizations that repeatedly fail to meet transparency requirements.
Monte submitted ten written questions to Minister Charles Cooper regarding the monitoring of foundations, associations and other organizations that receive financial support from the government.
Among other issues, Monte asks whether a periodic evaluation and control system currently exists to monitor how subsidized organizations use public funds and how that system operates.
He also wants to know how the government guarantees that subsidies are used exclusively for the purposes for which they were granted.
Possible policy review
The MFK parliamentarian asks whether the minister is willing to present Parliament with an updated overview showing the compliance status of all subsidized organizations, including which entities have fulfilled their legal obligations and which have not.
Monte also questions whether the government should revise its subsidy policy to strengthen requirements related to transparency, accountability and responsibility in the management of public funds.
According to Monte, government subsidies involve taxpayer money and therefore require strict controls to ensure that funds are properly managed.
He argues that organizations receiving public support must demonstrate responsible financial management and comply with all legal and administrative obligations.
The minister has been asked to provide written answers to the questions submitted by the parliamentarian.