Wednesday, December 9th, was International Anti-Corruption Day. The difficulty of exposing corruption makes a mechanism to support whistleblowers essential. In St. Maarten, the Integrity Chamber was established in 2017 as an independent body that would receive and investigate reports by whistleblowers. A draft whistleblower’s policy has not yet been finalized. These are a number of topics we will be reviewing in this article by Jacqueline Hooftman. As insiders to an organization, whistleblowers have specific knowledge, access and expertise which allow them to detect corruption or other matters of concern that might otherwise remain hidden. However, they are often in a…
Author: The Publisher
~ Questions if new decree was issued ~ PHILIPSBURG — Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday said the decision by Minister of TEATT Ludmila DeWeever to allow Casino Rouge et Noir to open its emergency exit facing the Cannegieter Street is in violation of the existing decree and relieves the casino of its own responsibilities towards its workers. MP Emmanuel stressed that the casino is not so much concerned about its employees as it is with making money. The casino, Emmanuel said, is the employer. The employer has its responsibilities to make sure it pays its employees and make…
PHILIPSBURG — Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel was called “our hero” on Wednesday by the owners of the Passangrahan Royal Guest House for his public support for the property, a national monument. The auction of the property was scheduled to take place on Thursday but was cancelled after owners obtained backing from a financial guarantee bond for up to $8mln from Stockton Fuller & Company to see the landmark renovation through its next three years. Independent Member of Parliament, Christophe Emmanuel came out to the defence of the national monument by raising awareness and stating it would be a “crying…
By Hilbert Haar The much anticipated meeting of Parliament about the financial status of the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) has not yet provided much clarity but especially questions asked by MP Claudius Buncamper indicate that the perceived financial chaos at BTP is finally getting the attention it deserves. The failure by successive ministers responsible for Telecommunication to step up to the plate became once more glaringly obvious. BTP’s Chief Financial Officer Judianne Labega-Hoeve showed that her organization’s annual budgets are routinely submitted too late and that they are approved by default. Is that bad? I think it is and…
PHILIPSBURG — Monday’s Parliament meeting about the financial status of the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) produced many questions, but no answers yet because Minister Ludmilla de Weever needs time to prepare them properly. Hence the meeting was adjourned until further notice which means a yet to be determined future date in 2021. From a presentation by BTP’s Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer Judianne Hoeve-Labega it appears that BTP’s annual budgets – and with it the performance contract of director Anthony Carty – are routinely approved by default. It also appears that budgets are always submitted too late. Based…
PHILIPSBURG — Member of Parliament (MP) of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) Claudius “Toontje” Buncamper on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, posed a number of questions to the Minister of labor, Richard Panneflek, in regards to the number of recent complaints by employees of illegal dismissals taking place by employers. The MP stated in his letter to the minister that “As a result of the challenges we face from COVID-19, the country is now confronted with numerous complaints of labor abuse against employees of a number of companies such as Little Switzerland and the Towers at Mullet Bay, just to…
~ Wants Parliament to summon her in for questioning ~ PHILIPSBURG — Justice chain members of the NAPB, ABVO and WICSU/PSU unions informed union Presidents that they have lost all confidence in Justice Minister Anna Richardson and mandated the unions to do “everything within your power to involve Parliament and relay our position.” The membership gave the unions three days to pen a letter to Parliament with the objective to call the Minister to Parliament for questions “and provide truthful and concrete answers.” The letter, the members said, should mention an ultimate date of one week for Parliament to respond.…
PHILIPSBURG — Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Monday posed several questions concerning the status, current and future outlook of Bureau Telecommunications and Post (BTP) St. Maarten. Speaking during a Central Committee meeting called to discuss the finances of BTP, the MP’s questions were premised on BTP being one of the government-owned companies for which Parliament has very little information, despite years of complaints and issues raised by the public and other parties. The MP asked about a multi-annual plan for BTP that outlines its vision and projected growth and, in the absence of such, how does the company plan…
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: UPDATE: Be the Change Foundation Project Manager Laura Bijnsdorp confirmed that the new owners have agreed to honor the agreement to continue exhibiting the mural and to not paint it over as was initially reported. As a matter of fact, they said the mural is good for business and will bring them lots of foot traffic and they will be looking to add another mural to the building. By Jacqueline Hooftman PHILIPSBURG — Artist Annemiek van Kerkhof-Posthuma’s mural design ‘Run for Freedom’, commissioned as part of a government supported project to beautify Philipsburg with vibrant murals, is…
Government should invest in monuments. It is the perfect investment for Country Sint Maarten. Monuments were back front and center in last week’s Parliament’s meeting when Minister of Culture, Drs. Rodolphe E. Samuel gave a presentation about the state of the recognized monuments on St. Maarten. Investing in the preservation of monuments not only makes sense from a historical and cultural heritage perspective, but it also makes excellent financial and economic sense. When government do purchase these properties and designate them as monuments, they are immediately valuable financial assets of the country. They also have significant economic value. Tour operators…
