by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert In a previous essay, the “Development from within the Caribbean” was suggested. Up to five territories could be the Founders of such an initiative. Which territories is the first question that comes up. The willing and able to proactively and wholeheartedly and who are committed and competent to take on a pioneer’s role! Does that mean the ones with the largest economies, the highest growth rate, or highest GDP, or the richest? In that case, one would tend to think of the Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands, Jamaica or Bahamas. Yet, those are not…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — Inmates at the Point Blanche prison sounded an even louder alarm this weekend urging the powers-that-be to get serious about restructuring the prison system or risk facing a situation they will not be able to control. The inmate association, speaking through their representative Sjamira Roseburg, said Minister of Justice Anna Richardson constantly lies about the situation at the prison, thinking that inmates don’t have a voice to get the real story out. First and foremost, they said, the COVID-19 situation has caused serious concern at the prison among inmates who feel like they are already treated like sub-human.…
PHILIPSBURG – The Pro Soualiga Foundation, a vehicle established by attorney Denicio Brison, is taken the State of the Netherlands to court in an attempt to have the Kingdom Charter of 1954 declared null and void. The foundation also demands that the Netherlands registers St. Maarten on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories and to ‘cease and desist’ from the proposed consensus Kingdom Law Caribbean Reform Entity. The petition sets December 31, 2020, as the deadline for its demands. Related: Caribbean Reform Entity In its 37-page petition to the court, the foundation goes to great length in its attempt…
~ Readying petition for Government and Parliament ~ SIMPSON BAY — The vendors on the parking lot at Kim Sha Beach, classified as the Kim Sha Market Place, are incensed with government over its latest move to put them out of business. The vendors reacted over the weekend to a Ministerial decision dated August 17, 2020, by Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Ludmila De Weever that would set the max opening time of business for the vendors to 10pm daily and re-classify the area as a “re-designated marketplace.” This decision was made public by the Minister over this past…
PHILIPSBURG — The Employer Council St. Maarten issued a statement wherein it states that from the get-go, the SSRP was intended to enable employers to maintain employment relationships with as many employees as possible. It was anticipated that, without such a program, the number of lay-offs and bankruptcies would harm our economy to such an extent that it would be difficult to recover. The development of the initial program, applied for the months of April and May, was done by Government without any real consultation with the social partners. While it is understandable that the formal legislative process was not…
CAY HILL — St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) has taken note of a media report from Omrop Fryslan that was published today in which a recently arrived rotational specialist has made statements which are not accurate. SMMC hereby rectifies these as follows. Intensivist Dr. Rik Gerritsen stated in a telephone interview with the Dutch media outlet that SMMC does ‘not have experience with dealing with COVID-19’ and that the recent increase of positive cases is ‘St. Maarten’s first wave of COVID-19’. This statement is not accurate as SMMC has dealt with the prior increase in positive cases in April and…
We were asked the other night whether there will be another lockdown of the island. Our answer was that we do not think so. The good news tonight is that the number of active cases has further dropped to 198. See: https://news.sx/covid-19/covid-19-has-decreased-to-198-confirmed/ Some 39 people have recovered from the coronavirus infection since August 18th. Despite the number of hospitalized cases due to COVID-19 related medical issues still on the rise, as of yesterday, it stood at 15, the number of deaths remains stable at 17. See https://news.sx/health/smmc-halts-non-emergency-medical-procedures-policlinics-to-continue/ Indications are that the number of cases on St. Maarten is beginning to…
by Emsley D. Tromp I am writing this note risking stepping on toes. However, the only way to avoid stepping on toes is to stand still. Standing still will come at greater cost to the reputation and the credibility of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (“CBCS”), our financial system, and ultimately the Monetary Union and the well-being of its citizens than speaking out. I write now because we need to consider the financial and reputational puzzle the new president of CBCS will have to solve. I write as well because the CBCS has strayed so far from…
We recently interviewed a frontliner about what the consequences of COVID-19 infections among the staff entail for capacity issues in frontline organizations such as the medical center, the ambulance service and the fire department. Related: Fire department Chief addresses COVID-19 rumors We have not published this interview yet because we did not want to be seen as engaging in fear-mongering. However, since then, reports have been coming in daily of positive infection cases relating to frontliners in the police department, the Pointe Blanche Prison, and several government departments such as immigration and labor. Related: Two staff members at Prison with…
by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert Economic recession, pandemic, and potential natural disasters may lead to gloom, despair, agony, deep dark depression and excessive misery. When it sounds like a hammer and feels like a hammer, it may actually be a hammer. One single word describes the biggest hurdle for renewal and progress: ‘clinging’; trying to hold on to what once was, although the conditions are changing. In these difficult times, the Caribbean has to learn to develop and strengthen itself in new ways. What is a ‘new way’? Development from within the region! Not trying to do anything about finding new…
