WARMELINK responsible for establishing landsverordeningen(ie. Acts of the Netherland Antilles and Aruba ) These Antillean and Aruban acts are equivalents to Dutch acts The Constitutions of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba stipulate that the budget shall be established by law, which makes the government and the Staten the common In both countries, govemment presents a draft budget to the Staten each ye The budget of the Netherlands antilles is presented no later than the second Tuesday in September, the final date for the Aruban budget to be presented is September Ist Officially, the Staten have the authority to modify the budget, however, in practice there appears to be relatively little room for it. Not only does a arge part of the expenditure result from comm itments already adopted, the Govemment Accounts Acts of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba also require that the budgets be balanced. Such a legal obligation does not rest with the dutch budgetary authority Besides expenditure intended for the country s own matters, the budgets of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba conta in items for Kingdom matters as well. The Charter requires that the Netherlands antilles and Aruba contribute, in accordance with their means, towards the expenses involved in defending the Kingdom and maintaining its independence, as well as towards the expenses involved in taking care of other Kingdom matters as faras this care is intended to benefit these countries All in all, there is little difference between expenditure for own matters and for Kingdom matters, the Antillean and Aruban expenditure for the Kingdom will usually benefit their own countries, and staff expenditure of the two countries for the organization of the Kingdom is lim ited The budgets of the Netherands Antilles and Aruba do include the expend for the ministers plenipotentary, one for each country, who represent the govemments of these countries in Kingdom matters. Together with the fifteen Dutch) Ministers appointed by the King, they make up the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom. Anyway, their say in this Council is quite limited. There is no separate ingdom parliament; the Dutch States-General function as such in Kingdon Besides Kingdom matters, there is a category of matters of cooperation existing on the basis of a cooperative arrangement made between the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. As a result of this arrangement, which is an example of a joint arrangement between the countries based on the Charter/, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles regulate certa in matters together or in a uniform way. The financal and budgetary consequences of this cooperation are small: its main purpose is to bring about legal and administrative unifom ity. Expenditure is made for the aforementioned Solidarity Fund, but the resources of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba may not be sufficient for them to be able to make the compulsory payments. It has been agreed that, in that case, the Netherlands will help out In practice, presenting and establishing the budgets of these countries in time has proven to be quite a job, particularly as far as the Netherlands Antilles are concemed. The complicated internal structure of the Antilles is a contributing factor to this problem. The presentation and establishment of the budget of the Netherlands Article 35 of the Charter Article 38 of the CharterWARMELINK 4 responsible for establishing landsverordeningen (i.e. Acts of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba). These Antillean and Aruban acts are equivalents to Dutch acts. The Constitutions of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba stipulate that the budget shall be established by law, which makes the government and the Staten the common budget authority. In both countries, government presents a draft budget to the Staten each year. The budget of the Netherlands Antilles is presented no later than the second Tuesday in September, the final date for the Aruban budget to be presented is September 1st. Officially, the Staten have the authority to modify the budget, however, in practice there appears to be relatively little room for it. Not only does a large part of the expenditure result from commitments already adopted, the Government Accounts Acts of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba also require that the budgets be balanced. Such a legal obligation does not rest with the Dutch budgetary authority. Besides expenditure intended for the country s own matters, the budgets of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba contain items for Kingdom matters as well. The Charter6 requires that the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba contribute, in accordance with their means, towards the expenses involved in defending the Kingdom and maintaining its independence, as well as towards the expenses involved in taking care of other Kingdom matters as far as this care is intended to benefit these countries. All in all, there is little difference between expenditure for own matters and for Kingdom matters; the Antillean and Aruban expenditure for the Kingdom will usually benefit their own countries, and staff expenditure of the two countries for the organization of the Kingdom is limited. The budgets of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba do include the expenditure for the ministers plenipotentiary, one for each country, who represent the governments of these countries in Kingdom matters. Together with the fifteen (Dutch) Ministers appointed by the King, they make up the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom. Anyway, their say in this Council is quite limited. There is no separate Kingdom parliament; the Dutch States-General function as such in Kingdom matters. Besides Kingdom matters, there is a category of matters of cooperation , existing on the basis of a cooperative arrangement made between the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. As a result of this arrangement, which is an example of a joint arrangement between the countries based on the Charter7 , Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles regulate certain matters together or in a uniform way. The financial and budgetary consequences of this cooperation are small: its main purpose is to bring about legal and administrative uniformity. Expenditure is made for the aforementioned Solidarity Fund, but the resources of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba may not be sufficient for them to be able to make the compulsory payments. It has been agreed that, in that case, the Netherlands will help out. In practice, presenting and establishing the budgets of these countries in time has proven to be quite a job, particularly as far as the Netherlands Antilles are concerned. The complicated internal structure of the Antilles is a contributing factor to this problem. The presentation and establishment of the budget of the Netherlands 6. Article 35 of the Charter. 7. Article 38 of the Charter