PHILIPSBURG — The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the tourism industry to its knees, but the latest numbers issued by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) show that St. Maarten is getting out of this slump in a hurry. Out of 24 destinations that reported international arrivals in 2021, twenty reported declines. Of the seven destinations reporting stay-over visitors for the period January-July 2021, Aruba reported 76.5 percent growth, closely followed by St. Maarten with 70 percent. The Dominican Republic also did well with an increase of 58.8 percent. But four other destinations were less fortunate. Anguilla reported a dramatic decline of…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — To describe Winair as a tough old bird may sound a bit disrespectful but there is no question that the company is tough as nails. Faced with the umpteenth crisis in its now 60-year existence, the airline is hell-bent on coming out of it stronger than ever. This is not to say that the challenges Winair is facing are easy to overcome; far from it. But the company has been down in the doldrums before and it fought its way back to health with a vengeance. Nevertheless, the data Winair presented at its most recent shareholders meeting are…
PHILIPSBURG — “Formal equality does not equate material equality.” That is one of the conclusions of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination after the evaluation of the Dutch 22nd to 24th periodic report. During a meeting about these reports, Committee-experts asked questions about the Dutch national framework for tackling racial discrimination, racial profiling by police officers, the Dutch colonial legacy and its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The committee expressed its concern that the economic support the Kingdom provided to its Caribbean countries is linked to conditions and that this support is less favorable that what…
Philipsburg – On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs held an introductory meeting with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ballast Nedam International Projects B.V., Mr. Roy van Eijsden. Ballast Nedam International Projects B.V. (BNIP) was chosen as the General Contractor for the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project and officially signed the agreement with PJIAE N.V. on Tuesday, August 24. Also present at this meeting were Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PJIAE N.V., Mr. Brian Mingo, Director of National Recovery Program Bureau, Mr. Claret Connor and Deputy Director of National Recovery Program Bureau, Mr. Abel Knottnerus. Prime Minister Jacobs stated,…
~ 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…
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…
