Dear Editor, Decision makers in our islands are going to be challenged with tradeoffs that have better medical assurances on the one hand and quicker economic recovery on the other hand. Both sides of this tradeoff are currently unpredictable although there are probably epidemiologists with considerable insight into where the cards are likely to fall in the near future. For the economic growth return it will depend on the structure of any economy and its dependence on exports and people exposure. In the case of Sint Maarten we are clearly almost totally dependent on exports and our exports are dependent…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion and his team, with the information and recommendations gathered by the ESFs and their relevant teams and task forces, prepared a Support Relief Plan (SRP) costing ANG 254 million for the first 3 months. In a press release issued by the cabinet of the ministry of Finance, the minister explains that economies across the world have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and St. Maarten is no exception. The necessary measures of closing the borders in order to control the spread of the virus has resulted in a practical halt of all…
MINISTERS & PARLIAMENTARIANS AGREE TO SALARY REDUCTION IN SOLIDARITY INITIATIVE ~ Liquidity support 2019 becoming a reality ~ PHILIPSBURG – Current and previous Ministers back initiative to support island recovery with a ten percent salary cut. The Minister of Finance, Ardwell Irion sought and received the support from his colleagues in both the Parliament of St. Maarten and the Council of Ministers. The Minister of Finance presented his colleagues with the initiative as far back at February, that expressed solidarity with the people of St. Maarten by the top officials of the country. All signatories agreed that legislation will be…
Update Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs & SMMC Receives Medical Equipment from the Netherlands for St. Maarten Philipsburg—St. Maarten is now the recipient of the much-needed medical equipment sent this morning on the Military C 17 aircraft, from the Netherlands at approximately 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 5, 2020, to SXM Airport. The equipment was received by a delegation consisting of Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs, Dr. Felix Holiday representing St. Maarten Medical Centre (SMMC), ESF 6 Coordinator Fenna Arnell, SXM Airport CEO Brian Mingo, SXM Airport COO Michel Hyman and Head of the Dutch Representation Office in St. Maarten Chris…
PHILIPSBURG – A C-17 transport plane has arrived in St. Maarten with emergency aid and equipment to treat corona-patients in the Caribbean part of the kingdom. The supplies and the equipment are not exclusively for patients in St. Maarten, but also for those from the BES-islands, Curacao and Aruba. The plane carried a partially mobile hospital with six intensive-care beds and equipment to realize another six IC-beds at the St. Maarten Medical Center. Furthermore, the C-17 brought protective gear for doctors and nurses, medication for corona-patients and medical equipment. State Secretary for Public Health, Welfare and Sport Paul Blokhuis was…
With the declaration of a state of emergency last night during the Prime Minister’s online press briefing the island is on lockdown 24/7, effectively a police state for two weeks. While the purpose of this shutdown is clearly understood, implementing an island-wide testing program on the island as well would have served an even greater purpose and would have effectively helped to corner and isolate the virus once and for all. Our neighboring island St. Barths understands that as well apparently and they will be testing the entire population. We should be doing the same as well. Time to take…
PHILIPSBURG – The state of emergency has far-reaching consequences for the civil rights of St. Maarten’s inhabitants. The national decree that declared the state of emergency refers rather casually to article 112 of the Constitution, but that article actually puts civil rights established in ten different articles on hold. The decree furthermore mentions eight specific articles from the national ordinance emergency situation (Landsverordening uitzonderingstoestand) but it is currently unclear whether other articles from this ordinance also apply without prior notice. First, let’s take a look at the LV uitzonderingstoestand. Article 3 stipulates that terminating the state of emergency can be…
PHILIPSBURG – Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs declared the state of emergency for St. Maarten on Saturday. The measure goes into force on Sunday, April 5, for a period of two weeks. Nobody will be allowed to be on the road, or even near a public road. Supermarkets are closed and religious gatherings are prohibited. The state of emergency is regulated in the relevant national ordinance (Landsverordening uitzonderingstoestand). Jacobs said at a press conference on Saturday that there will be a 24/7 curfew. The measure can be extended when it ends on April 19 if necessary. The state of emergency gives…
Photo caption: Holland House Beach Hotel also completely shutdown as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. PHILIPSBURG – Most of the 51 units at the Princess Heights Boutique Condo Hotel in Oyster Pond are empty these days but its partial owner, former Minister of Public Health Emil Lee, says in an article published in the New York Times that the business will be able to weather the corona-crisis until the end of the year. “If it goes past Christmas then you need to look at how to restructure.” For other businesses in St. Maarten, Lee is more pessimistic: “Past four…
PHILIPSBURG – St. Maarten was made aware that the Netherlands would be returning three of the detainees on March 28, 2020, who were transferred to the Netherlands due to the state that the Pointe Blanche prison was in after Hurricane Irma. During the discussions with the Netherlands concerning the transfer of the detainees, it became evident that it was not possible for the detainees to remain in the Netherlands any longer. Considering the limited resources that St. Maarten has, Prime Minister and Chair of the Emergency Operations Center EOC, Silveria Jacobs, made a strong plea to the Dutch Minister of…
