PHILIPSBURG — Leaking confidential information to Parliament and the Council of Ministers and refusing to enlighten the Supervisory Board of Directors of the Princess Juliana International Airport Exploitation Company about the suspicions leveled against him by the Public Prosecutor’s Office have cost Michel Hyman his job as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the SXM Airport. After his dismissal by the general shareholders meeting on March 14, 2022, Hyman went to court with a series of demands. Hyman started working for the airport on September 15, 1993. In 2017 he signed a service agreement that promoted him to Chief Operating Officer…
Author: The Publisher
By Hilbert Haar It took me some time straighten this out in my mind, but I think I’ve got it now. Imagine that you manage an organization that needs to rent office space. Lots of office space. Let’s say, 47 different offices. You’re going to spend around $8 million a year on this venture, so this renting-business puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. If nothing else, you want to know that you are spending your money wisely. After all, as the manager of this project, you will be held accountable if something goes wrong. Right? While you’re happily…
NEW YORK — Teenage Dancer Eliane Berwers is enjoying herself at the summer intensive program of the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York. “I love the classes and I love meeting and spending time with other dancers,” Eliane informed StMaartenNews.com as a part of her promise to keep the readers up to date with news and photos. Taking photos of her dancing activities is limited, her mom informed us as well: “Unfortunately, but understandably, using phones is not allowed at the dance school. They get there at 11:15 a.m. and class starts at 11:30 a.m. They finish at 5.30…
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – In collaboration with N.V. GEBE and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), more than nine (9) kilometers of overhead low-voltage electricity lines will be placed underground as part of major infrastructural works set to start in mid-July. This work is part of the Trust Fund’s Emergency Recovery Project (ERP-1). The Sint Maarten Trust Fund is financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. From a budget of approximately US $3.8 million, the work will take place in several phases…
PHILIPSBURG — The causeway bridge over the Simpson Bay Lagoon has a checkered history that includes stories about bribery and technical malfunctioning. Currently, the swing bridge is out of commission again, making it impossible for cars to use the connection between Union Road and the Airport Road. It is the second time since the bridge opened in December 2013 that the swing bridge malfunctions. In October 2017, after the passing of the devastating Hurricane Irma on September 6, the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation (SLAC) announced that the bridge would be closed for “emergency repairs.” Engineers from the Dutch company…
PHILIPSBURG — The National Alliance-United People’s party governing coalition continues discussions with members of parliament about their willingness to leave the opposition benches. But Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs declined to comment on these developments during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing. Asked whether she supported the addition of MPs Akeem Arrindell (independent) and Chanel Brownbill (United St. Maarten party substitute for suspended MP Claudius Buncamper) to join the coalition, Jacobs only conceded that there are “discussions with MPs” but that these talks have not been finalized. “And as long as they are not finalized, I will not say anything further…
PHILIPSBURG — Starting on August 1, vaccinated travelers to St. Maarten will be able to get pre-approval for entering the country by using EHAS (Electronic Health Authorization System), Public Health Minister Omar Ottley announced in a press release. The intention is to make EHAS more convenient by allowing vaccinated persons to receive an immediate pre-approval, once the form is filled out in its entirety,” Ottley’s press release states. In St. Maarten, entry requirements that have been in place since April 1, 2022, remain unchanged. The detailed travel requirements can be found online at stmaartenehas.com/travel-requirements/. Minister Ottley claims in his press…
PHILIPSBURG — A 59-year old casino-dealer with a rather checkered work-history gets more than 100,000 guilders gross from her now former employer as compensation for the termination of her labor contract, the Court in First Instance ruled in June. The employee, who entered service with the casino in 1991, collected 29 warnings from her employer between 2002 and 2021. The warning were related to theft, swearing, being present in the casino outside of her working hours and sending impolite text messages to her superior: “Look how. That bitch make my schedule.” In January 2021 the casino sent the employee with…
PHILIPSBURG — United Democrats-MP Sarah Wescot-Williams vented her frustration about recent political developments in a press statement that suggested the appointment of a professional as the new minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT). MP Wescot-Williams notes that MPs Akeem Arrindell (Independent) and Chanel Brownbill (United St. Maarten party) will join the coalition for a joint appointment of a successor to Roger Lawrence at the TEATT-ministry. “MP Brownbill’s consent to this agreement is on shaky ground,” the press statement reads. “He is deputizing for suspended MP Buncamper. Deputizing can mean different things in different circumstances, but this particular…
PHILIPSBURG — “We question if the goals set forth in the country package are realistic,” the General Audit Chamber states in its audit on the possibilities of rent reduction for government. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs signed the agreement for the country package in December 2020. One of the measures mentioned in this deal is a 20 percent reduction of the rent the government pays for office space by 2025. The Audit Chamber is puzzled about the basis that should be used to calculate the reduction. The budgets for 2020 and 2021 both mention total rental costs as 15.2 million guilders,…
