~ Suggests Areas for Improvement of this Vital Service to Renters and Landlords Alike ~ Philipsburg — During the 2021 budget debates, MP Wescot-Williams questioned how the Rental Tribunal “rent committee” was performing in general and during the pandemic and the economic downturn in particular. Hence, the MP has decided to follow up on this matter via a meeting of Parliament as the Rental Tribunal is subsided by the Government of St. Maarten. “For the deliberations in Parliament, we received from Government a detailed report of the Rental Tribunal. However, this report in itself has not in my opinion received…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — Today, Thursday, August 26, 2021, former Senior Manager of Port St. Maarten Roger Lawrence was ceremoniously sworn in as Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT) at the cabinet of His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday. Lawrence was put forth by the United People’s (UP) party as candidate minister after former Minister of TEATT Ludmila de Weever accepted her seat in Parliament. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs stated, “I welcome Minister Lawrence to the Council of Ministers and trust that the good rapport had during the screening process will set the tone for continued cooperation and cohesion in…
PHILIPSBURG — Taking an opposing stance to several Sint Maarten Members of Parliament (MPs), Party for Progress (PFP) MP Melissa Gumbs came out of the recently held the Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Consultations (IPKO) reflecting on the opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between the countries in the Dutch Kingdom. “There was a willingness to think differently and the focus on working together was present and pervasive. There is recognition that, especially within the three countries of the Dutch Caribbean, we have to do more to stick together when we believe things are going incorrectly,” said MP Gumbs. “That’s also the message given…
PHILIPSBURG — Given the emergence of the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant, NAGICO Insurances has launched a project to help promote safety awareness in schools. The awareness campaign will see child friendly, colorful posters and social distancing floor stickers, being placed at strategic locations in all Elementary and Secondary schools. The messages on these signs are all geared at informing and reminding students, of COVID-19 safety measures, which they need to practice, which will in turn reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus in and around the school campuses. “Our main objective with this project, is to help…
Simpsonbay, St. Maarten (August 24, 2021) – On Tuesday August 24, 2021, an official signing with the General Contractor of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project, the Ballast Nedam International Projects B.V. (BNIP), was held at the former Check-In Hall at the Princess Juliana International Airport. The event signified the start of one of the most anticipated reconstruction projects of the company’s history, following the consequences of the massive devastation to the structure during Hurricane Irma in 2017. The Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project is jointly funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. The Sint Maarten…
Bridgetown, Barbados, 25 August 2021 – CIBC FirstCaribbean has officially extended its partnership with The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus with the signing of a memorandum of understanding for three years. The agreement, which was signed on Tuesday August 17, 2021, is for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24, and will cover four areas: support and development of UWI programmes and students around the region; enhancement of research in Banking and Finance at The UWI; the joint pursuit of mutually beneficial business opportunities, and entrepreneurship and innovation. The bank has contributed over US$2 million to The UWI to…
Simpson Bay — On Monday, August 23rd, 2021, the Honorable Minister of Justice, Anna E. Richardson visited the Princess Juliana International Airport to welcome the arrival of Mr. Alvin Daal from Curacao. During her work visit to Curacao last month, Minister Richardson aimed at re-establishing and forging a positive working relationship between the Ministry of Justice in Curacao and Sint Maarten. One of the topics discussed most during her work visit was the reorganization of the Point Blanche Prison & House of Detention. In an effort to improve the situation at the Prison and house of detention, Minister Richardson sent…
Philipsburg — Member of Parliament, Sarah A. Wescot-Williams in a recent statement stated that “It has been some months now that the Association of Psychologists and Allied Professionals (APAP) has approached me regarding challenges faced by its members. In fact, nearly one year ago, the association publicly expressed its concern with respect to the continuation of mental health services by its members due to a number of reasons, such as timely payments, adjustment of tariffs and the fact that since 10-10-10, these professionals, unlike most of their peers, are still subjected to Turn-over-Tax.” MP Wescot-Williams said that “for months I…
WILLESTAD — Renowned composer and piano player Johnny Kleinmoedig is facing an 18-months prison sentence (with 6 months suspended) and a ban from practicing as a public notary for five years. The public prosecutor holds Kleinmoedig responsible for transferring money from a third party account to his private bank account. The court in Curacao handled the case on Friday, August 20. Kleinmoedig is a partner in the office of Kleinmoedig&Alexander in Willemstad. According to the prosecution the defendant had no legal basis for transferring the funds to his private account. Kleinmoedig told the court that the money “no longer had…
by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert It is common knowledge that the economies in the Caribbean desperately need diversification. Being dependent for about 70-85% on tourism is insane. It is sad that no realistic alternatives have been developed yet as the dilemma is older than V.S.O.P. ripened in an oak barrel. The problem needs attention because it is hotter than a firecracker lit on both ends. Sure, there is a lot of ‘um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay’-talk about it, but there are no meaningful initiatives or results. More of the same, tourism development, is not a solution but rather fueling…
