New Orleans, LA, October 15, 2024 — Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) has appointed Youil Homsi as CEO Caribbean Region, effective October 1st. Mr. Homsi steps into the role following Ms. Greer Quan’s departure at the end of August. Over her 10 years with the company, most recently as PALIG’s Caribbean Region CEO, Greer played a pivotal role in guiding the regional strategy and shaping PALIG’s portfolio in the Caribbean. She led the business with a results-oriented, customer-focused approach, consistently upholding the highest standards of service. Greer leaves behind a strong platform for future growth. Mr. Homsi joins Pan-American Life…
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PHILIPSBURG–In response to MP Roseburg’s call for more transparency and accountability regarding the management of St. Maarten’s Crime Fund, MP Omar E.C. Ottley has expressed his strong support for Roseburg’s push to allocate the fund toward community project initiatives. Ottley pointed out a general concern that the Crime Fund appears only to be used to destroy locals to the detriment of local communities while its true potential remains untapped. Citing the success of Curacao’s crime prevention strategy, where nearly 30 million Netherlands Antillean guilders have been funnelled into 18 distinct projects focused on education, sports, and community engagement, Ottley questioned…
Whereas the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) supports some important steps made recently by the government of St. Maarten, it has serious concerns about a possible “tourism tax” being discussed. Its concerns especially pertain to unintended effects of such. In an editorial of the Daily Herald of September 10th, 2024, the following was stated: “Caretaker Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs recently confirmed that a so-called ‘tourist tax’ proposed by the former government is still on the table.” It is important to note that the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) has consistently communicated to various members of government…
PHILIPSBURG — In yesterday’s budget debate, alarm was raised over the government’s recent approval of a tax holiday for a major developer, while enforcing budget cuts totaling over 30 million guilders, including a 13.1 million guilder reduction in education funding.Confused by this administration’s hypocrisy, given that some coalition members had previously opposed developments and tax breaks for large corporations. Yet, this significant tax relief was granted just before elections, while vital sectors like education, public safety, and utilities face austerity. “What about tax holidays for our start-up-, small business owners, especially in their first two years? At a time when…
Philipsburg, St. Maarten – The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) in Sint Maarten has issued a renewed call for vigilance and preparedness following the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton in Florida. Clive Richardson, St. Maarten’s Fire Chief and National Disaster Coordinator, emphasized the critical importance of early preparation, highlighting the storm’s rapid intensification as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of hurricanes. Hurricane Milton transformed from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in just nine hours, one of the most explosive intensifications ever recorded. Experts have attributed this to record-high ocean temperatures, which fueled the hurricane’s rapid growth.…
GREAT BAY, St. Maarten (October 9, 2024)—Former Minister of Finance and current MP Ardwell Irion (NA) voted against the ENNIA Outline Agreement on October 8, 2024, alleging that he was “uncertain” over whether Curaçao would follow suit. However, the Parliament of Curaçao unanimously approved the Agreement the next day. Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs noted that MP Irion, who had signed the original Outline Agreement, appears to have been playing “petty politics” with an issue of such grave importance for St. Maarten. “It is incomprehensible to me that someone who had sidelined Parliament, when he was Minister of Finance to sign…
Dear Editor, As the world watches Hurricane Milton churn toward the Gulf of Mexico, declared by the National Hurricane Center as potentially “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record,” we are reminded of the accelerating threat of climate change. The scientific community has warned us for decades, but we are now living the consequences. The BioScience group recently pointed out that humanity has driven the planet into climatic conditions “never witnessed by us or our prehistoric relatives.” Extreme weather events are becoming the norm, and Sint Maarten cannot afford to ignore the pressing reality that we are living in…
GREAT BAY, St. Maarten (October 7, 2024)—The There will be no distinction between civil servants and subsidized schools in terms of payment of Cost of Living Adjustment, (COLA), next year, Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs has assured. “The expected indexations will be incorporated into the 2025 budget to ensure all receive their payments concurrently,” she said in a press release. According to the Minister, in September, the focus was on ensuring that the COLA payments were made to civil servants currently in service. “For civil servants who were employed earlier in 2024 but have since left service, the corresponding payments…
~ And what are the implications of moral hazard? ~ By Terrance Rey The question of whether the government can guarantee the recovery of the ENNIA pension fund is a critical one, especially for the policyholders whose pensions are at stake. With the looming financial instability of ENNIA, there is increasing pressure on the government to step in and provide assurances. However, while a government guarantee might offer much-needed security to policyholders, it comes with significant challenges and risks. The Nature of Government Guarantees A government guarantee essentially means that if ENNIA cannot meet its obligations, the government will step…
On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, NV GEBE hosted several Members of the Parliament of St. Maarten for an insightful presentation and tour of the Power Plant. The delegation in attendance included: the Hon. Chairlady of Parliament Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, along with the following Honorable MPs: Melissa D. Gumbs, Viren V. Kotai, Francisco A. Lacroes, Ludmila N.L. de Weever, and Darryl T.J. York. Also, in attendance were various faction members, including: Oliver Williams and Carlita Guy, and St. Maarten Parliament staff members S.G. Garrick Richardson, Jessica Duzong-Weeks and Rosencio Hassell. At the opening by Troy Washington, NV GEBE’s Temporary Manager, he…
