PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling has appointed nine employees of the St. Maarten Police Force (KPSM) and seven seconded officers from Customs as special police officers (“buitengewoon agent van politie”). The appointments were formalized by Ministerial Decree dated February 11, 2026, and published in the National Gazette on Friday. At the request of Chief of Police Carl John, nine KPSM staff members have been appointed for a period of three years. Seven of the appointees serve as Camera Observants, one as an Intaker and one as a Research Assistant. The special police officers are authorized to investigate criminal…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — Residents of St. Maarten who may have an interest in the Lynch Estate in St. Eustatius are hereby informed that a petition has been submitted to the Court of First Instance of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, sitting in St. Eustatius. The petition was filed by James Nathaniel Brice pursuant to Article 3:200a and following of the Civil Code and concerns the long-term undivided estate known as Lynch Estate in the district of Lynch, St. Eustatius. The matter involves two parcels of land. One parcel measures approximately 10,000 square metres (certificate of admeasurement 03/1997) and forms part of the remaining lands of rbr. 2 of 1953. The second parcel…
PHILIPSBURG — Chairlady of St. Maarten’s parliament, Sarah Wescot-Williams, has entered the debate about the leadership of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) with a letter that puts the importance of institutional stability, credibility and public trust above the question of “whose turn it is.” The CBCS supervisory board has been without a chairman for four years. Richard Doornbosch is the president of the bank’s executive board. MP Wescot-Williams outlines in her letter the history of the chairmanship. In 2017 Etienne Ys was appointed as a candidate for Curacao. When his term ended, vice-chair Dennis Richardson recommended…
PHILIPSBURG — Eleven of the projects St. Maarten submitted to obtain subsidies from the Slavery Fund have been approved. It is at this moment unclear which projects have qualified. The fund will make this information public later this year. Countries in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom submitted 34 applications; 24 of them have been approved and the successful applicants will receive a total of $240,000. The subsidy for each project is capped at $10,000. In a second round, the fund will grant subsidies of $10,000 to a maximum of $25,000, but the deadline for applications has in the meantime…
Philipsburg/Marigot – On February 26, the Department of Communication of the Government of Sint Maarten paid a working visit to their French side counterparts of the Collectivité of Saint-Martin, Communication Department, which includes the protocol section. The working visit was to get a deeper understanding of how the French side Department of Communication functions within the Collectivité, to exchange mutual operational information and ideas, and to continue fostering the working relationship. In their Marigot offices, the head/director of the French side Department of Communication Nathalie Longato gave a short presentation and shared an overview of the work and responsibilities. After…
Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs, representing the Party for Progress (PFP), this week defended continued large-scale development on St. Maarten even as he acknowledged infrastructure has lagged far behind growth and repeated calls to “pause” major projects. At Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Gumbs said: “Our economy depends on tourism and construction,” in response to a question about whether the country should consider halting development to catch up on roads, drainage, sewage, traffic management and other services. The question stemmed from a recent economic development conference in Bel-Air where participants highlighted what they described as a growing gap between rapid growth and…
Every year, sargassum seaweed makes its grand entrance onto the shores of St Tosia. Just when the island thought it had everything under control, a massive wave of sargassum approaches. The smell hits you like a bad decision. Except this one covers the whole shoreline. When that sargassum starts cooking in the sun, it’ll clear your sinuses, and your will to live. It’s one way to keep the tourists from overstaying their visas. While other islands struggle to “manage” sargassum, St. Tosa monetizes the chaos. It turns environmental pressure into economic play. The citizens of St. Tosia, being the resilient,…
MARIGOT–The Executive Council of Saint-Martin reviewed key administrative and environmental matters affecting the Collectivity. The council, which oversees matters ranging from association grants and exceptional aid to building permits and urban land preemption, addressed flood prevention and environmental grants. The council authorized the acquisition of parcel AI111 in Galisbay, covering 982 square meters, for €350,000. The purchase is part of the territory’s flood prevention plan. Marigot’s watershed, a heavily urbanized area, faces significant flood risks exacerbated by limited hydraulic infrastructure. The 2024 Marigot Stormwater Master Plan, integrated into the 2024–2026 Flood Prevention Action Plan (PAPI), identified the need to construct a new crossing on Rue de Hollande to redirect…
MARIGOT–The Collectivity of Saint-Martin has announced that the public cemetery tomb identification campaign has entered its final phase, which is scheduled to conclude on June 30, 2026. The Collectivity urges everyone to participate in the campaign to help preserve and honor Saint-Martin’s shared heritage. The campaign, conducted by the local Funeral Service, is part of a broader effort to restructure and preserve the island’s cemeteries. Officials emphasize the importance of recording and identifying graves to safeguard Saint-Martin’s cultural and historical heritage. The campaign aims to achieve several key objectives. It seeks to catalogue anonymous and abandoned graves, ensuring that all burial sites are properly recorded. It also provides support…
MARIGOT—The Collectivity of Saint-Martin has begun a series of road improvement works, including asphalt resurfacing and the repainting of pedestrian crossings across the territory. Drivers and residents in the affected areas are advised to expect delays, temporary traffic diversions, and alternating lanes during the works. Asphalt resurfacing works The second phase of road resurfacing is being carried out by contractor SOGETRA. The schedule for the coming days is as follows: Motorists are urged to exercise caution, follow the instructions of traffic officers, and consider alternate routes where possible. The Collectivity thanks the public for their patience and cooperation during the works. Pedestrian crossing markings In…
