By Hilbert Haar When St. Maarten obtained its autonomous status within the Dutch kingdom in 2010 there were quite some politicians (like André Bosman and Ronald van Raak) who expressed their doubts about the wisdom of this decision and now the chicken have come home to roost. Prime Minister Luc Mercelina is on a working visit in the Netherlands, a trip that begins more and more to look like a beggar’s attempt to solve the problems he is not able to solve by himself. First, Mercelina asked for $6.5 million to renovate the main police station in Philipsburg. It is…
Author: The Publisher
THE HAGUE — Prime Minister Luc Mercelina has asked Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof for temporary military support during his overseas working visit, dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl reports. Mercelina made the request because of the brutal robberies and other violent incidents that are plaguing the island. Mercelina attributes these incidents to organized crime. St. Maarten struggles with the fight against these crimes because the local police force is understaffed. In his vision, the deployment of soldiers ought to strengthen local authorities in attempts to enforce national and public safety. It is currently unclear whether Schoof will honor the request. “It is important that…
THE HAGUE — The government wants the Netherlands to pay for the renovation of the main police station in Philipsburg. Prime Minister Luc Mercelina has submitted a formal request for financial support to State Secretary Eddie van Marum, DossierKoninrijksrelaties.nl reports. The request is for $6.5 million. The police station has been plagued by leakages and mildew since before St. Maarten became an autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands on October 10, 2010. Mercelina said that it is difficult to recruit new officers – and to keep them in the force – because of the poor state of the…
THE HAGUE –State Secretary Eddie Van Marum has announced the establishment of a Caribbean vacancy platform. The objective is to stimulate the return of students who have completed their studies in the Netherlands to the island where they were born. Van Marum, a member of the rightwing BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) political party, almost makes this initiative look like a good idea but when you dive deeper into the challenges Caribbean students face in the Netherlands, a different picture emerges. The platform intends to match Caribbean students and “studying talents” with job opportunities and internships on the islands. Van Marum claims that…
THE HAGUE — Minister Robert Tieman, a member of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) party has offered a proposal to the Dutch parliament to adjust the aviation law for the BES-islands. The adjustments is about the establishment of a so-called openbaredienstverplichting (ODV, an obligation to provide public services) for airlines that service the routes between the BES-islands and between these islands and other destinations in the former Netherlands Antilles, such as St. Maarten, Aruba en Curacao. If the parliament agrees, the new status could come into effect on October 1, 2026. Tieman’s proposal aims to offer affordable flights from the islands to…
GUSTAVIA — Saint-Barthélemy has become the second territory in the world, after Monaco, to implement a fully integrated drone traffic management and detection system, significantly strengthening airspace safety around the island. Aéroport de Saint-Barthélemy – Rémy-de-Haenen has adopted FlyBy, a complete Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) solution developed by Air Space Drone. The system combines two major functions: digital flight authorization for drone operators and real-time detection of drones in low-altitude airspace. Airport Managing Director Fabrice Danet says the new technology will provide a much safer operational environment, particularly near sensitive aircraft approach and departure routes. Any drone entering restricted zones…
PHILIPSBURG — The Common Court of Justice ordered former Checkmate Security director O’Neal Arrindell to pay a bit more than 4.1 million guilders ($2.3 million) to country St. Maarten. The decision confirms a decision the Court in First Instance took in January 2023 when it found Arrindell guilty of fraud and corruption in the Emerald-investigation whereby the port was defrauded of almost $7 million with fake invoices that were paid to seven different construction companies. O’Neil is currently serving a 40-month prison sentence for these crimes but now the court of appeals has added another layer to his punishment. Arrindell…
By Tom Clifford The Finance minister told a group of leading bankers that the sector must be ‘’more responsive to the needs of the public’’. Addressing the St. Maarten’s Bankers’ Association at a public forum at the Government Administration Building on Sunday night, the minister said the sector is the “backbone of the economy” but too many people cannot avail of its services. The minister, Marinka Gumbs, hosted the event to bring clarity to the many financial questions raised by the public. “Seventeen per cent, about 7,400 people are unbanked,’’ the minister said and this means they have to rely…
by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. I had to it read again. Then I looked at his picture and gave it another look. Almost everyone knows the portrait I’m referring to. Actually, a considerate number of people carry his picture in their wallet. It’s on the foremost currency in the world. Everyone knows his name. In the USA he is probably the most respected man in history- I’m talking about George Washington. You may be curious about what he said: “An army of asses led by a lion is better than an army of…
By Erwin E. Dormoy Three years after the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) announced that the salvaged tugboat Marion would be sunk in the Man of War Shoal Marine Park to create an artificial reef, the project has stalled. Despite nearly USD 176,000 already spent to clean and prepare the vessel, the tugboat remains moored in Simpson Bay Lagoon. On August 10, 2022, the NRPB revealed that “Tiegland,” a site within the marine park, had been selected for the sinking after extensive consultations with dive operators, the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, and government inspectors. The location was chosen for two…
