PHILIPSBURG— Faction Leader for the United People’s Party in Parliament of St. Maarten, the honourable Grisha Heyliger-Marten, is demanding that government “put our local contractors and companies to work first.” In a press release issued Tuesday by MP Heyliger-Marten she asked whether the mistakes of the past would repeat themselves where foreign contractors are allowed to bring their own heavy equipment to the island despite many local companies owning the same types of machines. “I am calling on the Ministers of Government responsible for these projects to ensure that this time around the people of St. Maarten are protected. Contractors…
Author: The Publisher
POND ISLAND — The Supervisory Board of Directors of the Telem Group of Companies has recently requested a shareholders meeting with the Council of Ministers; specifically, with the Shareholder Representative and Prime Minister, Ms. Silveria Jacobs. The purpose is to discuss pending matters from the previous sitting government, with specific attention to the current situations brewing at the Telem Group of Companies. The Supervisory Board in its communication to the government provided a proposed agenda which includes among other topics, the appointment of a fifth board member, a spot that had to be filled since the removal of Mr. Arnell…
~ and about the Assistance by the Government of the Netherlands to Fund these Programs ~ PHILIPSBURG – Three factions in Parliament have requested an urgent meeting of Parliament to hear from the Government regarding the SSRP payroll and unemployment programs and the status of the liquidity assistance from the Netherlands. This matter has taken on more urgency, given the deadline of June 15th as communicated by State Secretary R. Knops, and the reliance on the second tranche of 29M NAF to fund the SSRP programs. In their letter to the Chairperson of Parliament, the three factions also mentioned a…
PHILIPSBURG – Justice Minister Anna Richardson has issued a press statement about the status of temporary residence permit-holders, warning them to arrange the extension of their permit or run the risk of deportation. MPs Melissa Gumbs and Raeyhon Peterson (Party for Progress) have expressed concerns about compliance with international human rights standards in questions they submitted to the minister. The PFP notes in its questions that statements and press releases are not legally binding and that any action by the ministry has to be based on the law – be it through a national ordinance, a national decree, or a…
Concerned about Compliance with International Human Rights Standards PHILIPSBURG – PFP Members of Parliament Melissa Gumbs and Raeyhon Peterson have submitted questions to Minister Anna Richardson, following the Minister’s announcement that the country’s immigration laws would be “strictly enforced,” as well as encouraging those without resident permits to voluntarily leave the island or face detainment and deportation. The faction has stated publicly that the country’s rampant illegal immigration problem has desperately needed attention for over ten years now and both MPs commend the Minister for at least taking the initiative to start the discussion to handle this issue. However, both…
AIRPORT — Some 14 residents of Guyana were repatriated back to their country of birth on the afternoon of Saturday, June 13th, 2020. A charter flight that originated out of Guyana brought back several Dutch nationals who were stuck in Guyana for several months following the COVID-19 lockdown. This flight was made possible through serious negotiations between the Guyana Consul to St. Maarten Kim Lucas-Felix, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Guyana, and the Department of Foreign Relations on St. Maarten. These negotiations were ongoing for several weeks, and it was seen as positive for all parties. The Trans Guyana…
PHILIPSBURG — In a personal interview with StMaartenNews.com, Chairman of the Board of the St. Maarten Academy PSVE (Preparatory Secondary Vocational Education) Roland E. Duncan called on the government to just cut the school subsidy by 12,5% and leave his school alone. In this interview, Roland Duncan, former minister of justice, talks about how the government is demanding 12,5% of the teacher’s salaries. The government has instructed the schools to deduct 12,5% of the personnel costs. The schools don’t particularly have to touch salaries. However, as Duncan pointed out, the only personnel costs the schools have are the salaries. As…
PHILIPSBURG — There are always fireworks to be expected during the IPKO sessions. Last week, it was the ‘war of words’ between MP Claudius “Toontje” Buncamper and MP Andre Bosman that sparked some fireworks in this year’s IPKO meetings, held virtually on June 10th and 11th, 2020. After the opening presentation by MP William Marlin, St. Maarten’s Chairman of the Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations, MP Bosman spoke about Marlin’s statements and how in 2017, the St. Maarten government was hostile after the hurricane. That is why the Netherlands chose to go the way of the World Bank/Trust…
PHILIPSBURG — StMaartenNews.com was expecting some fireworks during last week’s IPKO meeting, especially with the de-colonization stance of MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten. She wants this process to be finally finalized using Article 73 in a meeting to be held next year, June 2021. However, the MP kept her speech very short and to the point. She cited the democratic deficits due to the minority position of St. Maarten in the CFT and in the RMR (Kingdom Council of Ministers). MP Heyliger-Marten did not mince words and concluded her short speech by saying: “The simplest thing we can do is finalize the…
By Hilbert Haar If I assume that the finance ministry is putting together the country’s budgets to the best of its abilities the conclusion must be that there is definitely something wrong. Maybe not with those abilities but with the decision making process of our government. Is this a matter of unwillingness or have we been pushed so far into a corner that we are unable to make other – or better decisions? You tell me. I am thinking about the poor state of the Pointe Blanche prison and about more than thirty reports from the Progress Committee that have…
